Cardiovascular responses to caloric restriction and thermoneutrality in C57BL/6J mice

TD Williams, JB Chambers… - American Journal …, 2002 - journals.physiology.org
TD Williams, JB Chambers, RP Henderson, ME Rashotte, JM Overton
American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and …, 2002journals.physiology.org
We utilized variations in caloric availability and ambient temperature (Ta) to examine
interrelationships between energy expenditure and cardiovascular function in mice. Male
C57BL/6J mice (n= 6) were implanted with telemetry devices and housed in metabolic
chambers for measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), O2
consumption (V˙ o 2), and locomotor activity. Fasting (Ta= 23° C), initiated at the onset of the
dark phase, resulted in large and transient depressions in MAP, HR, V˙ o 2, and locomotor …
We utilized variations in caloric availability and ambient temperature (Ta) to examine interrelationships between energy expenditure and cardiovascular function in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice (n = 6) were implanted with telemetry devices and housed in metabolic chambers for measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), O2 consumption (V˙o 2), and locomotor activity. Fasting (Ta = 23°C), initiated at the onset of the dark phase, resulted in large and transient depressions in MAP, HR, V˙o 2, and locomotor activity that occurred during hours 6–17, which suggests torporlike episodes. Food restriction (14 days, 60% of baseline intake) at Ta = 23°C resulted in progressive reductions in MAP and HR across days that were coupled with an increasing occurrence of episodic torporlike reductions in HR (<300 beats/min) and V˙o 2 (<1.0 ml/min). Exposure to thermoneutrality (Ta = 30°C,n = 6) reduced baseline light-period MAP (−14 ± 2 mmHg) and HR (−184 ± 12 beats/min). Caloric restriction at thermoneutrality produced further reductions in MAP and HR, but indications of torporlike episodes were absent. The results reveal that mice exhibit robust cardiovascular responses to both acute and chronic negative energy balance. Furthermore, we conclude that Tais a very important consideration when assessing cardiovascular function in mice.
American Physiological Society