Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Institute of Neurobiology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
PLoS One. 2023 Nov 6;18(11):e0293971. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293971. eCollection 2023.
Djungarian hamsters are small rodents that show pronounced physiological acclimations in response to changes in photoperiod, and unfavorable environmental conditions such as reduced food availability and low external temperature. These include substantial adjustments, such as severe body weight loss and the use of daily torpor. Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in eutherms, usually marked by low metabolic rate and a reduced body temperature. In this study, we investigated the effects of photoperiodic acclimation and food deprivation on systemic iron metabolism in Djungarian hamsters. Our study illustrates the association between liver iron levels and the incidence of torpor expression during the course of the experiment. Moreover, we show that both, acclimation to short photoperiods and long-term food restriction, associated with iron sequestration in the liver. This effect was accompanied with hypoferremia and mild reduction in the expression of principal iron-hormone, hepcidin. In addition to iron, the levels of manganese, selenium, and zinc were increased in the liver of hamsters under food restriction. These findings may be important factors for regulating physiological processes in hamsters, since iron and other trace elements are essential for many metabolic and physiological processes.
长爪沙鼠是一种小型啮齿动物，它们会对光周期变化和不利的环境条件（如食物减少和外部温度降低）做出明显的生理适应。这些适应包括体重显著下降和日常休眠等重大调整。休眠是恒温动物生理活动降低的一种状态，通常表现为代谢率降低和体温降低。在这项研究中，我们研究了光周期适应和食物剥夺对长爪沙鼠全身铁代谢的影响。我们的研究说明了在实验过程中肝脏铁水平与休眠表达发生率之间的关联。此外，我们表明，适应短光周期和长期食物限制都与肝脏中铁的蓄积有关。这种影响伴随着低血铁症和主要铁激素铁调素表达的轻微减少。除了铁，在食物限制的沙鼠肝脏中，锰、硒和锌的水平也增加了。这些发现可能是调节沙鼠生理过程的重要因素，因为铁和其他微量元素是许多代谢和生理过程所必需的。
