Summary
Cold exposed (13°C) mice maintained on a short day photoperiod (9L:15D) became torpid 9 times more frequently than long day photoperiod (16L:8D) animals (Table 1). Mice on a short day photoperiod also exhibited a 26% increase in nesting behavior, a 9% decrease in food consumption and a 49% increase in norepinephrine induced thermogenesis (Table 2). No change in resting metabolism was observed. Similarily, chronic melatonin administration (subcutaneously implanted beeswax pellet containing 3.5 mg melatonin) elicited a 2.5 fold increase in spontaneous daily torpor relative to shamimplanted mice (Table 3). Mice treated with melatonin exhibited a 33% increase in nesting behavior and a slight decrease in food consumption. Although thyroid block (propyl-thiouracil) increased the incidence of daily torpor only slightly, it did effect an 11% decrease in resting metabolism, a 42% decrease in norepinephrine induced thermogenesis and a 5% decrease in food consumption. Thyroid block did not alter nesting behavior.
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Lynch, G.R., White, S.E., Grundel, R. et al. Effects of photoperiod, melatonin administration and thyroid block on spontaneous daily torpor and temperature regulation in the white-footed mouse,Peromyscus leucopus . J Comp Physiol B 125, 157–163 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00686752
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00686752