title: Translating animal model research: does it matter that our rodents are cold?
abstract: Does it matter that rodents used as preclinical models of human biology are routinely housed below their thermoneutral zone? We compile evidence showing that such rodents are cold-stressed, hypermetabolic, hypertensive, sleep-deprived, obesity-resistant, fever-resistant, aging-resistant, and tumor-prone compared with mice housed at thermoneutrality. The same genotype of mouse has a very different phenotype and response to physiological or pharmacological intervention when raised below or at thermoneutrality.
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomy Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Stirling Highway, Crawley, Australia; Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, South Africa;
authors.forename: Shane K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Maloney
authors.affiliation: Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, South Africa;
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomy Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Stirling Highway, Crawley, Australia; Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, South Africa;
authors.forename: Duncan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Toxicity Assessment Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Overton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D003080:Cold Temperature; D058639:Cold-Shock Response; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D005838:Genotype; D006799:Housing, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods*