Seasonal and fasting induced changes in iron metabolism in Djungarian hamsters. 2023

Rawan Kawach, and Victoria Diedrich, and Andreas Gruber, and Kerstin Leopold, and Annika Herwig, and Maja Vujić Spasić
Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.

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.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007035 Hypothermia Lower than normal body temperature, especially in warm-blooded animals. Hypothermia, Accidental,Accidental Hypothermia,Accidental Hypothermias,Hypothermias,Hypothermias, Accidental
D005215 Fasting Abstaining from FOOD. Hunger Strike,Hunger Strikes,Strike, Hunger,Strikes, Hunger
D006224 Cricetinae A subfamily in the family MURIDAE, comprising the hamsters. Four of the more common genera are Cricetus, CRICETULUS; MESOCRICETUS; and PHODOPUS. Cricetus,Hamsters,Hamster
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012621 Seasons Divisions of the year according to some regularly recurrent phenomena usually astronomical or climatic. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Seasonal Variation,Season,Seasonal Variations,Variation, Seasonal,Variations, Seasonal
D017111 Phodopus A genus of hamsters characterized by small size, very short tail, and short, broad feet with hairy soles. Djungarian Hamsters,Hamsters, Djungarian,Hamsters, Siberian,Phodopus campbelli,Phodopus sungorus,Phodopus sungorus campbelli,Siberian Hamster,Djungarian,Hamster, Siberian,Siberian Hamsters,campbelli, Phodopus sungorus,sungorus campbelli, Phodopus
D017440 Photoperiod The time period of daily exposure that an organism receives from daylight or artificial light. It is believed that photoperiodic responses may affect the control of energy balance and thermoregulation. Dark-Light Cycle,Daylight Cycle,Light Cycle,Light-Dark Cycle,Cycle, Dark-Light,Cycle, Daylight,Cycle, Light,Cycle, Light-Dark,Cycles, Dark-Light,Cycles, Daylight,Cycles, Light,Cycles, Light-Dark,Dark Light Cycle,Dark-Light Cycles,Daylight Cycles,Light Cycles,Light Dark Cycle,Light-Dark Cycles,Photoperiods
D064348 Torpor A state of decreased activity in animals characterized by depressed metabolism, reduced body temperature, and low sensitivity to external stimuli.

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