Cage bedding modifies the outcomes of metabolic and microbiota studies. Mouse cage bedding

We exposed mice housed on different types of cage beddings (wooden, cellulose or corncob) to ad libitum feeding, caloric restriction (CR) or over-night (ON) fasting. Additionally, two subgroups of the ON fasting group were kept without any bedding or on a metal grid preventing coprophagy. Mice under CR supplemented their diet with a substantial amount of bedding with big variety between the kind of beddings. Bedding-related changes in body weight loss, cecum size, stomach weight, fecal output, blood ghrelin levels as well as a response to glucose oral tolerance test were recorded. Microbiome and metabolome of cecum content was analysed.

本研究将饲养于不同类型笼养垫料（cage beddings，包括木质、纤维素或玉米芯垫料）的小鼠，分别施以自由采食（ad libitum feeding）、热量限制（caloric restriction, CR）或过夜禁食（overnight fasting, ON）处理。此外，过夜禁食组还设置了两个亚组：一组不使用任何垫料，另一组使用可防止食粪行为（coprophagy）的金属网格进行饲养。热量限制组的小鼠会摄入大量笼养垫料，且不同垫料类型间的垫料摄入情况差异显著。本研究记录了与笼养垫料相关的体重丢失、盲肠体积、胃重量、粪便排泄量、血液生长激素释放肽（ghrelin）水平以及口服葡萄糖耐量试验（glucose oral tolerance test）的响应情况，并对盲肠内容物的微生物组和代谢组进行了分析。