Physiological response to the odorant TMT in fully fed and calorically restricted laboratory mice.

2,3,5-trimethyl-3-thiazoline (TMT) is a chemical compound that is extracted from red fox urine and can be used to artificially simulate the presence of a predator. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that TMT would block entry into torpor in the calorically restricted C57Bl/6 mouse. We first demonstrated that TMT induced fear in the mouse.

The heat is on: A device that reduces cold stress-induced tachycardia in laboratory mice.

Mouse vivaria are typically maintained at an ambient temperature (T) of 20-26 °C which is comfortable for human researchers. However, as this T is well below the mouse thermoneutral zone (TNZ) of 30-32 °C, typical vivarium temperatures result in cold stress for mice. Recently, a cage has been developed that provides variable cage floor heating, allowing mice to behaviorally regulate body temperature through thermotaxis.