Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Assessment of the Metabolic Effects of Isocaloric 2:1 Intermittent Fasting in Mice

Assessment of the Metabolic Effects of Isocaloric 2:1 Intermittent Fasting in Mice

Published on: November 27, 2019

Both thyroid hormone levels and resting metabolic rate decrease in African striped mice when food availability

Rebecca Rimbach¹, Neville Pillay², Carsten Schradin^2,3

¹University of the Witwatersrand, School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa Rebecca.Rimbach@wits.ac.za.

The Journal of Experimental Biology

|December 21, 2016

Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Precocial Weaning Influences Anxiety, Social and Maternal Care but Not Cognition in African Striped Mice, Rhabdomys dilectus chakae.

Developmental psychobiology·2026

Same author

Changes in phenology mediate vertebrate population responses to temperature globally.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Seasonal increase in blood serum osmolality reflects environmental harshness in the striped mouse: a decade-long field study.

The Journal of experimental biology·2025

Same author

An integrative, peer-reviewed and open-source cooperative-breeding database (Co-BreeD).

The Journal of animal ecology·2025

Same author

Species-specific behavioural responses to peripheral arginine vasopressin in two African striped mice (genus Rhabdomys).

Behavioural processes·2025

Same author

Light sensitivity and diel activity rhythms in the Angoni vlei rat (<i>Otomys angoniensis</i>) under natural and artificial conditions.

Chronobiology international·2025

African striped mice adjust their metabolism and thyroid hormone levels seasonally. These changes help conserve energy during the dry season when food is scarce, demonstrating adaptive responses to environmental changes.

Area of Science:

Physiology
Animal Ecology
Endocrinology

Background:

Seasonal environmental changes, such as food availability and temperature, drive physiological adaptations in animals.
Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in regulating metabolism, particularly when energy balance is challenged.
Limited data exists on thyroid hormone-metabolism relationships in free-living animals within seasonal environments.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate seasonal variations in triiodothyronine (T3) levels, resting metabolic rate (RMR), blood glucose, and ketone bodies in free-living African striped mice.
To determine the relationship between T3 levels and RMR across different seasons.
To understand how these physiological markers change in response to varying food availability.

Main Methods:

Keywords:

Drought Energetics Fasting Metabolism Starvation Triiodothyronine

More Related Videos

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

Published on: November 11, 2021

Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice

Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice

Published on: May 14, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Assessment of the Metabolic Effects of Isocaloric 2:1 Intermittent Fasting in Mice

Assessment of the Metabolic Effects of Isocaloric 2:1 Intermittent Fasting in Mice

Published on: November 27, 2019

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

Published on: November 11, 2021

Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice

Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice

Published on: May 14, 2018

Studied 61 free-living African striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) in a semi-arid environment.

Measured seasonal changes in triiodothyronine (T3) levels.

Assessed resting metabolic rate (RMR) and physiological markers of energy balance (blood glucose, ketone bodies).

Main Results:

RMR and T3 levels were higher in the moist season compared to the dry season.
T3 levels showed a negative relationship with RMR during the moist season, but no significant relationship during the dry season.
Dry season was characterized by lower blood glucose and higher ketone body concentrations, indicating a shift in energy substrate utilization.

Conclusions:

Seasonal adjustments in RMR and T3 levels in African striped mice facilitate energy conservation during periods of low food availability.
These findings highlight an adaptive physiological response to reduced food resources in the dry season.
Thyroid hormone regulation is a key factor in managing energy balance for free-living animals in seasonal environments.