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Noradrenalin induces thermogenesis in a phylogenetically ancient eutherian mammal, the rock elephant shrew, Elephantulus myurus

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Abstract

The evolution of endothermy is thought to have been facilitated by the advent of endothermic energy sources such as brown adipose tissue (BAT), the principal site of non-shivering thermogenesis (NST). In marsupials, heat is primarily produced through shivering and NST in skeletal muscle because BAT is either absent or appears to be non-functional. The most basal group of the eutherian lineage are the Afrotheria. Rock elephant shrews, Elephantulus myurus are amongst the smallest members of the Afrotheria and are also known to use exogenous passive heating. The aim of this study was to determine whether the reliance on passive heating compromised the capacity for thermogenesis in E. myurus. We measured the thermogenic response to noradrenalin (NA) injection in E. myurus acclimated to short photoperiod. The thermogenic response at 25°C was 1.58 ml O2 g−1 h−1. We used phylogenetically independent analyses to establish how this thermogenic response compared to other eutherians that display classical NST. The thermogenic response of E. myurus was not significantly different from phylogenetically independent allometric predictions. However, it is unclear whether this thermogenic response is indicative of classical NST and molecular data are required to verify the presence of BAT and UCPs in elephant shrews.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financed by the National Research Foundation and the University of KwaZulu-Natal core-rolling grants to BGL. We gratefully acknowledge the Cannon Collins Educational Trust for Southern Africa for a grant to NM. All procedures in this study complied with the “Principles for animal care” publication no. 86-23, revised 1986 (National Institute of Health) and the “Code of ethics for animal experimentation” manual adopted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal. We are grateful to the KwaZulu Natal Wildlife and Mr and Mrs Bruce McKay for granting permission to work on their farm in Estcourt. Kirsten K Coe-Mouton provided invaluable assistance in the field.

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  1. Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Nomakwezi Mzilikazi

  2. School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Private Bag X 01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa

    Nomakwezi Mzilikazi & Barry G. Lovegrove

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  1. Nomakwezi Mzilikazi
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Mzilikazi, N., Lovegrove, B.G. Noradrenalin induces thermogenesis in a phylogenetically ancient eutherian mammal, the rock elephant shrew, Elephantulus myurus . J Comp Physiol B 176, 75–84 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-005-0035-x

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