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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neurobiol Dis. 2009 Oct 6;37(1):130–140. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2009.09.016

FIG. 2. Copper Deficiency Impairs Thermoregulation in WT Mice.

FIG. 2

(A) PAM+/− (Total N=15; N per group =7,8) and WT mice (Total N=10; N per group=4,6) on the control or copper-deficient diet were exposed to a 4°C environment and core body temperature was assessed every 40 min. As observed previously, core temperature fell more in PAM+/− mice than in WT mice on the control diet (multivariate ANOVA, p=0.014). Core temperature dropped more quickly and to a lower level when WT mice were kept on a copper deficient diet (multivariate ANOVA, p<0.0005). Core temperature was not altered with copper deficiency in PAM+/− mice (two-way interaction, p<0.0005). (B) Laser Doppler velocimetry was used to measure tail blood flow velocity with cold exposure in WT (Total N=12; N per group=6) and PAM+/− mice (Total N=13; N per group= 7,6) on the two diets. The robust cold-induced increase in blood flow velocity observed in WT mice on the control diet was eliminated by copper deficiency (multivariate ANOVA p<0.0005). The limited ability of PAM+/− mice to increase flow velocity in response to cold exposure was further reduced by the copper deficient diet (multivariate ANOVA, p=0.004). The impairment of vasoconstriction was more pronounced in WT than PAM+/− mice (two-way interaction, p=0.008). Error bars, SEM.