title: Metabolic Effects of Social Isolation in Adult C57BL/6 Mice.
abstract: Obesity and metabolic dysfunction are risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and certain forms of cancers. Both animal studies and human population-based and clinical studies have suggested that chronic stress is a risk factor for metabolic disorders. A good social support system is known to exert positive effects on the mental and physical well-being of an individual. On the other hand, long-term deprivation of social contacts may represent a stressful condition that has negative effects on health. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic social isolation on metabolic parameters in adult C57BL/6 mice. We found that individually housed mice had increased adipose mass compared to group-housed mice, despite comparable body weight. The mechanism for the expansion of white adipose tissue mass was depot-specific. Notably, food intake was reduced in the social isolated animals, which occurred around the light-dark phase transition periods. Similarly, reductions in heat generated and the respiratory exchange ratio were observed during the light-dark transitions. These phase-specific changes due to long-term social isolation have not been reported previously. Our study shows social isolation contributes to increased adiposity and altered metabolic functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, 912 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, 912 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Eugene Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, 912 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, 912 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Colin W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Stets
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, 912 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Functional Genomics and Translational Neuroscience Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: During
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, 912 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
authors.forename: En-Ju D
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lin