Basal metabolic rate and organ size in Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii): Effects of photoperiod, temperature and diet quality

This study examined the effects of photoperiod (long day [16 Light:8 Dark] and short day [8 Light:16 Dark]), temperature (cold [5 °C] and warm [23 °C]), and diet quality (high-fiber diet [36% neutral-detergent fiber (NDF)] and low-fiber diet [23% NDF]) on basal metabolic rate (BMR), digestible energy intake, and organ size in the Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Cold increased BMR and showed a significant interaction with diet quality. Cold and short photoperiod increased intake of food and digestible energy. The high-fiber diet increased food intake, but decreased digestibility, and had no effects on digestible energy intake. Voles housed in the cold had heavier liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal segments but a lighter carcass. Segments of the gastrointestinal tract tended to be heavier when voles were fed the high-fiber diet. Voles housed in short photoperiod had lighter heart and kidneys but heavier gut segments. With the effects of body mass on BMR and organs was removed, BMR was significantly related to the dry mass of heart, liver, kidneys and cecum. Digestible energy intake was significantly related to the dry mass of kidneys and stomach. These significant relationships were also detected after removing the effects of body mass, temperature, photoperiod and diet quality. There was also a significant correlation between BMR and digestible energy intake. Our results suggest that variations in BMR reflected the evolution of metabolic machinery that induces higher energy intakes. The data also support the assimilation capacity model of endothermy.