Stress-induced hyperthermia in rodents and why it matters to your research

Stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH) is a physiological response to acute stressful events in mammals. It is mediated by HPA axis activation, causing redirection of blood flow with consequential temperature variations in different body regions. These temperature changes can therefore objectively identify stress responses. Traditional methods measuring temperature in laboratory rodents, such as thermometers and battery-operated telemetry devices, may themselves be stressful and invasive, and thus impact results. In this talk I will present results from our study using thermosensitive PIT-tags and infrared thermography (IRT) as non-invasive approaches to follow temperature changes during mildly stressful events in laboratory mice, and discuss why researchers should mind and measure the impact of acute stressors in rodents, in order to minimize their impact on the research outcome.