Functional histology of the skin in the subterranean African giant mole-rat: thermal windows are determined solely by pelage characteristics

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60076658%3A12310%2F20%3A43900897" target="_blank" >RIV/60076658:12310/20:43900897 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/60077344:_____/20:00524469 RIV/60460709:41320/20:84997

Result on the web

<a href="https://peerj.com/articles/8883.pdf" target="_blank" >https://peerj.com/articles/8883.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8883" target="_blank" >10.7717/peerj.8883</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Functional histology of the skin in the subterranean African giant mole-rat: thermal windows are determined solely by pelage characteristics

Original language description

Excavation of burrows is an extremely physically demanding activity producing a large amount of metabolic heat. Dissipation of its surplus is crucial to avoid the risk of overheating, but in subterranean mammals it is complicated due to the absence of notable body extremities and high humidity in their burrows. IR-thermography in a previous study on two species of African mole-rats revealed that body heat was dissipated mainly through the ventral body part, which is notably less furred. Here, we analyzed the dorsal and ventral skin morphology, to test if dermal characteristics could contribute to higher heat dissipation through the ventral body part. The thickness of the epidermis and dermis and the presence, extent and connectivity of fat tissue in the dermis were examined using routine histological methods, while vascular density was evaluated using fluorescent dye and confocal microscopy in the giant mole-rat Fukomys mechowii. As in other hitherto studied subterranean mammals, no subcutaneous adipose tissue was found. All examined skin characteristics were very similar for both dorsal and ventral regions: relative content of adipose tissue in the dermis (14.4 +/- 3.7% dorsally and 11.0 +/- 4.0% ventrally), connectivity of dermal fat (98.5 +/- 2.8% and 95.5 +/- 6.8%), vascular density (26.5 +/- 3.3% and 22.7 +/- 2.3%). Absence of large differences in measured characteristics between particular body regions indicates that the thermal windows are determined mainly by the pelage characteristics.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10613 - Zoology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA17-19896S" target="_blank" >GA17-19896S: Problems and solutions of thermoregulation in subterranean mammals</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2020

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

PeerJ

ISSN

2167-8359

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

8

Issue of the periodical within the volume

APR 8 2020

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

17

Pages from-to

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UT code for WoS article

000524530100007

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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