title: Role of photoperiod on hormone concentrations and adaptive capacity in tree shrews, Tupaia belangeri.
abstract: Environmental factors, such as photoperiod and temperature, play an important role in the regulation of an animal's physiology and behavior. In the present study, we examined the effects of short photoperiod (SD, 8L:16D) on body mass as well as on several physiological, hormonal, and biochemical measures indicative of thermogenic capacity, to test our hypothesis that short photoperiod stimulates increases thermogenic capacity and energy intake in tree shrews. At the end, these tree shrews (SD) had a significant higher body mass, energy intake, cytochrome C oxidase (COX) activity and uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) content, serum tri-iodothyronine (T(3)) and thyroxine (T(4)) compared to LD (16L:8D) tree shrews. However, there were no significant differences in serum leptin and melatonin between the two groups. Together, these data suggest tree shrews employ a strategy of maximizing body growth and increasing energy intake in response to cues associated with short photoperiod.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, People's Republic of China. zhanglin_84@yeah.net
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wanlong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhengkun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D019069:Cell Respiration; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D002149:Energy Intake; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size; D017440:Photoperiod; D012621:Seasons; D022722:Thermogenesis; D014418:Tupaiidae; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D020738:Leptin; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D008550:Melatonin