The feeding microstructure of male and female mice
Fig 5
The feeding microstructure of group-housed mice and its definitions.
A. Schematization of the feeding microstructure of mice. Represented are feeding bouts (FBs, filled squares) clustered in meals separated from each other by a non-eating intermeal interval (IMI) of equal or longer duration than a minimum IMI threshold (IMIt). B. Determination of the minimum rate of meal size (MS) change (Cal/sec) as a function of increasing intermeal intervals (IMI, sec) in 20w old male mice housed in groups (n = 10) and fed ad libitum undisturbed for 7 consecutive days. Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM. The minimum value is indicated as a red dot (IMIt = 300sec). C-F. Validation of the IMIt to indicate changes in meal frequency (C-D) and meal size (E-F) in male (C, E) and female (D, F) mice fed undisturbed a chow diet for 7 days. Shown are data corresponding to the nocturnal photoperiod of the day. The number of meals and meal size were determined as a function of increasing IMI (min) to visualize if the IMIt (5min) distinguishes changes in their rate of change. As shown, IMIt ≥5mins serve as a threshold to mathematically define a meal in 10w, 20w and 30w old male and female mice housed in groups.