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The mouse thermoregulatory system: Its impact on translating biomedical data to humans
Citation:
Gordon, C. The mouse thermoregulatory system: Its impact on translating biomedical data to humans. Physiology & Behavior. Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands, 179:55-66, (2017).
Impact/Purpose:
This review article explains the importance of the mouse thermoregulatory system and how it can affect the extrapolation of chemical and drug toxicity data from experimental animals to humans. The review covers previously published data and does not include any new previously unpublished data.
Description:
The laboratory mouse has become the predominant test species in biomedical research. The number of papers that translate or extrapolate data from mouse to human has grown exponentially since the year 2000. There are many physiological and anatomical factors to consider in the process of extrapolating data from one species to another. Body temperature is, of course, a critical determinant in extrapolation because it has a direct impact on metabolism, cardiovascular function, drug efficacy, pharmacokinetics of toxins and drugs, and many other effects. While most would consider the thermoregulatory system of mice to be sufficiently stable and predictable as to not be a cause for concern, the thermal physiology of mice does in fact present unique challenges to the biomedical researcher. A variable and unstable core temperature, high metabolic rate, preference for warm temperatures, large surface area: body mass ration, and high rate of thermal conductance, are some of the key factors of mice that can affect the interpretation and translation of data to humans. It is the intent of this brief review to enlighten researchers studying interspecies translation of biomedical data on the salient facets of the mouse thermal physiology and show how extrapolation of physiological, pharmacological, toxicology, pathology, and other fields can be affected.
