Study of Heart Failure in Mice Finds Thermoneutral Housing Conditions Not Critical

Article title: An assessment of thermoneutral housing conditions on murine cardiometabolic function

Authors: Xian Chen, Eliza Bollinger, Teresa Cunio, Federico Damilano, John C. Stansfield, Cynthia A. Pinkus, Steven Kreuser, Dinesh K. Hirenallur-Shanthappa, Rachel J. Roth Flach

From the authors: “Cardiac functional parameters were not dramatically altered in diet-induced obese animals housed at thermoneutrality, as [high-fat]-fed mice displayed very mild effects on cardiac hypertrophy and systolic function without significant effects on diastolic function in both temperature conditions. Thus, thermoneutral conditions are likely not critical for interpretation of outcomes in mouse models of heart failure, although alterations in cardiac remodeling should be noted between housing conditions.

This study is highlighted as one of February’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society's APSselect program.