Temperature-dependent differences in mouse gut motility are mediated by stress

Researchers have advocated elevating mouse housing temperatures from the conventional ~22°C to the mouse thermoneutral point of 30°C to enhance translational research. However, the impact of environmental temperature on mouse gastrointestinal physiology remains largely unexplored. Here we show that mice raised at 22 °C exhibit whole gut transit speed nearly twice as fast as those raised at 30°C, primarily driven by a threefold increase in colon transit speed. Furthermore, gut microbiota composition differs between the two temperatures but does not dictate temperature-dependent differences in gut motility. Notably, increased stress signals from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis at 22°C have a pivotal role in mediating temperature-dependent differences in gut motility. Pharmacological and genetic depletion of the stress hormone corticotropin-releasing hormone slows gut motility in stressed 22 °C mice but has no comparable effect in relatively unstressed 30°C mice. In conclusion, our findings highlight that colder mouse facility temperatures significantly increase gut motility through hormonal stress pathways.

Alvin Han, Courtney Hudson-Paz, Beatriz G. Robinson, Laren Becker, Amanda Jacobson, Julia A. Kaltschmidt, Jennifer L. Garrison, Ami S. Bhatt, Denise M. Monack