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Zepeda JA, Bautista A, Féron C, Martínez-Gómez M, Robles-Guerrero F, Reyes Meza V, Hudson R, Rödel HG. Patterns and predictors of inter-litter differences in rabbit pup locomotor activity, based on an automatized quantification method. Physiol Behav 2023; 261:114089. [PMID: 36657652 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Individual-level sibling interactions in the litter huddle have been studied extensively, especially in the domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). However, little is known about inter-litter differences in pup activity patterns during early postnatal life, in particular regarding the drivers of such variation. In our study on 2-3-day-old rabbit pups, we predicted lower locomotor activity in litters with lower mean body masses on the day of birth (starting body mass) and with lower daily milk intake per pup, possibly constituting a behavioral strategy of pups to cope with associated energetic constraints. For an automatized assessment of pup locomotor activity in the litter huddle, we successfully developed and validated a method based on the quantification of dissimilarities between consecutive frames of video footage. Using this method, we could confirm a U-shaped time course of litter-level locomotor activity, with maximum values shortly before and after the once-daily nursing typical for the rabbit. As predicted, between-litter variation in mean starting body mass and in daily milk intake affected the degree of locomotor activity in the litter huddle, in an interactive way. That is, in litters with heavier starting body masses, pup locomotor activity was greater in pups with an initially higher milk intake, suggesting that only pups with better body condition and a higher energy intake could afford higher levels of activity. This interaction was exclusively apparent during the middle phase of the 24 h inter-nursing interval, when litter activity was low. Shortly before nursing, when pups show higher levels of locomotor behavior in anticipation of the mother's arrival, and shortly after nursing when the pups were more active possibly due to adjustments of their positions in the huddle, activity levels were decoupled from pups' starting body mass and previous milk intake. Our findings highlight the importance of pup body mass and daily energy intake, two parameters known to be related to maternal characteristics, in shaping inter-litter differences in pup locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Alfredo Zepeda
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico; Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico; Preparatoria Alfonso Calderon Moreno, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico
| | - Amando Bautista
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico.
| | - Christophe Féron
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée UR 4443 (LEEC), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Margarita Martínez-Gómez
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Franco Robles-Guerrero
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée UR 4443 (LEEC), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Verónica Reyes Meza
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Heiko G Rödel
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée UR 4443 (LEEC), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France.
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Hamilton A, Rizzo R, Brod S, Ono M, Perretti M, Cooper D, D'Acquisto F. The immunomodulatory effects of social isolation in mice are linked to temperature control. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 102:179-194. [PMID: 35217174 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Living in isolation is considered an emerging societal problem that negatively affects the physical wellbeing of its sufferers in ways that we are just starting to appreciate. This study investigates the immunomodulatory effects of social isolation in mice, utilising a two-week program of sole cage occupancy followed by the testing of immune-inflammatory resilience to bacterial sepsis. Our results revealed that mice housed in social isolation showed an increased ability to clear bacterial infection compared to control socially housed animals. These effects were associated with specific changes in whole blood gene expression profile and an increased production of classical pro-inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, equipping socially isolated mice with artificial nests as a substitute for their natural huddling behaviour reversed the increased resistance to bacterial sepsis. Together these results suggest that the control of body temperature through social housing and huddling behaviour are important factors in the regulation of the host immune response to infection in mice and might provide another example of the many ways by which living conditions influence immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Hamilton
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Raffaella Rizzo
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Samuel Brod
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Masahiro Ono
- University of London Imperial College Science Technology & Medicine, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Natural Science, London SW7 2AZ, England
| | - Mauro Perretti
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Dianne Cooper
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Fulvio D'Acquisto
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; School of Life and Health Science, University of Roehampton, London SW15, 4JD, UK.
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Szenczi P, González D, Martínez-Byer S, Rödel HG, Hudson R, Bánszegi O. Motivation matters: lighter littermates of the domestic cat compete more successfully for meat at weaning. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03079-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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4
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The birth weight of rabbits: Influencing factors and effect on behavioural, productive and reproductive traits: A review. Livest Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2019.103841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Franco NH, Gerós A, Oliveira L, Olsson IAS, Aguiar P. ThermoLabAnimal – A high-throughput analysis software for non-invasive thermal assessment of laboratory mice. Physiol Behav 2019; 207:113-121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Zepeda JA, Bautista A, Rangassamy M, Monclús R, Bocquet C, Martínez-Gómez M, Gouat P, Féron C, Hudson R, Rödel HG. Individual differences in early body mass affect thermogenic performance and sibling interactions in litter huddles of the house mouse. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 60:825-835. [PMID: 29998571 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
We asked whether within-litter differences in early body mass are associated with differences in house mouse pups' thermogenic performance and whether such variation predicts individual differences in competitive interactions for thermally more advantageous positions in the huddle. We explored pups' thermogenic performance in isolation by measuring changes in (maximal) peripheral body temperatures during a 5-min thermal challenge using infrared thermography. Changes in peripheral body temperature were significantly explained by individual differences in body mass within a litter; relatively lighter individuals showed an overall quicker temperature decrease leading to lower body temperatures toward the end of the thermal challenge compared to heavier littermates. Within the litter huddle, relatively lighter pups with a lower thermogenic performance showed consistently more rooting and climbing behavior, apparently to reach the thermally advantageous center of the huddle. This suggests that within-litter variation in starting body mass affects the pups' thermal and behavioral responses to environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Zepeda
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France.,Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico.,Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Amando Bautista
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Marylin Rangassamy
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Raquel Monclús
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France.,Ecologie Systématique Evolution, University Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Celine Bocquet
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Margarita Martínez-Gómez
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico.,Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Patrick Gouat
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Christophe Féron
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Heiko G Rödel
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
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Groó Z, Szenczi P, Bánszegi O, Nagy Z, Altbäcker V. The influence of familiarity and temperature on the huddling behavior of two mouse species with contrasting social systems. Behav Processes 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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8
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Sukhchuluun G, Zhang XY, Chi QS, Wang DH. Huddling Conserves Energy, Decreases Core Body Temperature, but Increases Activity in Brandt's Voles ( Lasiopodomys brandtii). Front Physiol 2018; 9:563. [PMID: 29867585 PMCID: PMC5968109 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huddling as social thermoregulatory behavior is commonly used by small mammals to reduce heat loss and energy expenditure in the cold. Our study aimed to determine the effect of huddling behavior on energy conservation, thermogenesis, core body temperature (Tb) regulation and body composition in Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Adult captive-bred female Brandt's voles (n = 124) (~50 g) in 31 cages with 4 individuals each were exposed to cool (23 ± 1°C) and cold (4 ± 1°C) ambient temperatures (Ta) and were allowed to huddle or were physically separated. The cold huddling (Cold-H) groups significantly reduced food intake by 29% and saved digestible energy 156.99 kJ/day compared with cold separated groups (Cold-S); in cool huddling groups (Cool-H) the reduction in food intake was 26% and digestible energy was saved by 105.19 kJ/day in comparison to the separated groups (Cool-S). Resting metabolic rate (RMR) of huddling groups was 35.7 and 37.2% lower than in separated groups at cold and cool Tas, respectively. Maximum non-shivering thermogenesis (NSTmax) of huddling voles was not affected by Ta, but in Cold-S voles it was significantly increased in comparison to Cool-S. Huddling groups decreased wet thermal conductance by 39% compared with separated groups in the cold, but not in the cool Ta. Unexpectedly, huddling voles significantly decreased Tb by 0.25 - 0.50°C at each Ta. Nevertheless, activity of Cold-H voles was higher than in Cold-S voles. Thus, huddling is energetically highly effective because of reduced metabolic rate, thermogenic capacity and relaxed Tb regulation despite the increase of activity. Therefore, Brandt's voles can remain active and maintain their body condition without increased energetic costs during cold exposure. This study highlights the ecological significance of huddling behavior for maintenance of individual fitness at low costs, and thus survival of population during severe winter in small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gansukh Sukhchuluun
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing-Sheng Chi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - De-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Wilson SP. Modelling the emergence of rodent filial huddling from physiological huddling. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170885. [PMID: 29291081 PMCID: PMC5717655 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Huddling behaviour in neonatal rodents reduces the metabolic costs of physiological thermoregulation. However, animals continue to huddle into adulthood, at ambient temperatures where they are able to sustain a basal metabolism in isolation from the huddle. This 'filial huddling' in older animals is known to be guided by olfactory rather than thermal cues. The present study aimed to test whether thermally rewarding contacts between young mice, experienced when thermogenesis in brown adipose fat tissue (BAT) is highest, could give rise to olfactory preferences that persist as filial huddling interactions in adults. To this end, a simple model was constructed to fit existing data on the development of mouse thermal physiology and behaviour. The form of the model that emerged yields a remarkable explanation for filial huddling; associative learning maintains huddling into adulthood via processes that reduce thermodynamic entropy from BAT metabolism and increase information about social ordering among littermates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart P. Wilson
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Robotics, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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