Department of Social Informatics, Kyoto University, Yoshidahonmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
National Institute of Ecology, Geumgang-ro 1210, Maseo-myeon, Seocheon, Chungnam, 33657, Republic of Korea.
Commun Biol. 2024 Jan 5;7(1):42. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05713-1.
Torpor and arousal cycles, both daily and seasonal (e.g. hibernation), are crucial for small mammals, including bats, to maintain the energy and water balance. The alternation between torpor and arousal leads to metabolic changes, leaving traceable evidence of metabolic wastes in urine. In this study we investigated urinary creatinine and acetoacetate (a ketone body) in the Eastern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus fuliginosus) in Mungyeong, South Korea. We found an increase in urinary creatinine during torpor in summer, indicating changes in renal water reabsorption rates during the active season. Although we could not confirm ketonuria in hibernating bats due to a methodological limitation caused by the small amount of urine, we verified an increase in urinary creatinine concentration during hibernation. This finding suggests that managing water stress resulting from evaporative water loss is one of key reasons for arousal during hibernation in Eastern bent-wing bats.
蛰伏和觉醒周期，无论是日常的还是季节性的（例如冬眠），对小型哺乳动物，包括蝙蝠，维持能量和水的平衡至关重要。在蛰伏和觉醒之间的交替会导致代谢变化，在尿液中留下可追踪的代谢废物的痕迹。在这项研究中，我们调查了在韩国闻庆的东部弯嘴蝙蝠（Miniopterus fuliginosus）的尿液中肌酸酐和乙酰乙酸（酮体）。我们发现夏季蛰伏期间尿液中肌酸酐的增加，表明活跃季节肾脏水重吸收率的变化。虽然由于尿液量少导致方法学限制，我们无法在冬眠蝙蝠中确认酮尿，但我们验证了冬眠期间尿液中肌酸酐浓度的增加。这一发现表明，管理由于蒸发而导致的水应激是东部弯嘴蝙蝠在冬眠中觉醒的关键原因之一。
