Age comparisons of body temperature and cold tolerance among different strains of Mus musculus.

The age-related declines in colonic temperature (Tco) and cold tolerance (ability to maintain Tco when exposed to 10 degrees C for 3 h) described for C57BL/6J mice are compared to other mouse strains. Assessment of young and aged male mice of the C57BL/6J and A/J inbred strains and their F1 hybrid, B6AF1/J, as well as a pen-bred strain of Mus musculus captured from the wild revealed an aged-related decline in thermoregulation among all these strains. The degree of decline in thermoregulation was roughly correlated to differences in strain-specific lifespan. Aged mice of the relatively short-lived genotype, A/J (mean lifespan of 22 months), had the lowest Tco and poorest cold tolerance. The long-lived hybrids, B6AF1/J (mean lifespan of 29 months), demonstrated the highest Tco and the best cold tolerance among aged mice. C57BL/6J (mean lifespan of 26 months) showed an intermediate level of thermoregulation. Aged pen-bred mice demonstrated a significant decline in cold tolerance, but not a significant decline in Tco. The thermoregulatory responses of the pen-bred mice were superior to those observed among the domesticated strains. These data suggest that the age-related impairment in thermoregulation is a general phenomenon of aging in Mus musculus that is correlated with strain-specific lifespan but is possibly affected by the level of hybridization and domestication.