A Treadmill-Based Mouse Model for Investigating Hot Flashes with Continuous Skin Temperature Monitoring.

Abstract

Hot flashes significantly impair the quality of life in menopausal women, yet the underlying neural mechanisms and effective therapies remain poorly understood. A major challenge in this field has been the lack of reliable animal models and non-invasive methods for continuous skin temperature monitoring. Here, a mouse model combining ovariectomy with exercise-induced thermogenesis was developed to study hot flashes. Using a telemetric logger secured by a 3D-printed tail sleeve, tail skin temperature was continuously monitored in a stress-free state. Additionally, infrared cameras provided a complementary method to monitor heat production and dissipation, allowing for a more comprehensive assessment of body temperature. Using this model, ovariectomized mice were found exhibiting higher skin temperature increases and lower core body temperature, effectively mimicking the hot flash phenotype observed in menopause. This approach establishes a precise model for hot flash monitoring and will be valuable for researchers in thermoregulation, neuroscience, and clinical menopausal studies.