'For the convenience of human experimentalists and caretakers, and to decrease costs, mice are generally housed at environmental temperatures below their thermoneutrality. Our comfort and fiscal frugality come at costs that may include inappropriate interpretation of findings and even compromised translatability of experimental findings to human physiology and disease.'
@chrisXrodgers I knew there was a reason I should get a vest!
@cyrilpedia Interesting point - and not one I'd thought about for mouse experiments.
Working on C elegans for my PhD we had a temperature-controlled worm room to try to regulate behaviour and development; if the aircon wasn't working properly we'd have nematodes moving at different speeds than normal, responding differently to stimuli and treatments and eggs hatching at different rates.
I'm interested to follow up some of the refs and see what people have investigated with mice and temp
@cyrilpedia Worth also asking “whose comfort”? Most buildings are kept at a temperature that would only be comfortable for someone in a three piece suit