关键词: 大绒鼠, 血清瘦素, 食物限制, 能量支出

Abstract: We investigated physiological adaptation under conditions of food restriction in Eothenomys miletus inhabiting the Hengduan Mountain region. Adult male E. miletus were randomly assigned either to a control group (food ad libitum)or a food restriction group (80% of calorie intake relative to control),and body mass,resting metabolic rate (RMR), nonshivering thermogenesis (NST),body fat content,serum leptin levels,liver mass,brown adipose tissue (BAT)mass,and morphological parameters of the digestive tract in male E. miletus were measured. The results showed that body mass,body fat content,RMR,NST,BAT mass,liver mass,large intestine length and small intestine length in the food restriction group were lower than those in the control group. In contrast,caecum content mass in the food restriction group was significantly higher relative to that of the control group. In addition,serum leptin levels were positively correlated with body mass and body fat content. These results suggest that E. miletus apply physiological adjustments to adapt to reduced food availability by reducing body mass,body fat content and energy metabolism. Serum leptin may participate in the regulation of energy balance and body mass in E. miletus during food restriction.

Key words: Energy expenditure, Eothenomys miletus, Food restriction, Serum leptin