Thermoneutral Housing has Limited Effects on Social Isolation-Induced Bone Loss in Male C57BL/6J Mice
Authors: Mountain Rebecca V. , Peters Rebecca L. , Langlais Audrie L. , Stohn J. Patrizia , Lary Christine W. , Motyl Katherine J. 
Published: August 2024

Social isolation stress has numerous known negative health effects, including increased risk for cardiovascular disease, dementia, as well as overall mortality. The impacts of social isolation on skeletal health, however, have not been thoroughly investigated. We previously found that four weeks of social isolation through single housing led to a significant reduction in trabecular and cortical bone in male, but not female, mice. One possible explanation for these changes in male mice is thermal stress due to sub-thermoneutral housing. Single housing at room temperature (∼20-25°C)—below the thermoneutral range of mice (∼26-34°C)—may lead to cold stress, which has known negative effects on bone. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that housing mice near thermoneutrality, thereby ameliorating cold-stress, will prevent social isolation-induced bone loss in male C57BL/6J mice. 16-week-old mice were randomized into social isolation (1 mouse/cage) or grouped housing (4 mice/cage) at either room temperature (∼23°C) or in a warm temperature incubator (∼28°C) for four weeks (N=8/group). As seen in our previous studies, isolated mice at room temperature had significantly reduced bone parameters, including femoral bone volume fraction (BV/TV), bone mineral density (BMD), and cortical thickness. Contrary to our hypothesis, these negative effects on bone were not ameliorated by thermoneutral housing. Social isolation increased glucocorticoid-related gene expression in bone andUcp1andPdk4expression in BAT across temperatures, while thermoneutral housing increased percent lipid area and decreasedUcp1andPdk4expression in BAT across housing conditions. Overall, our data suggest social isolation-induced bone loss is not a result of thermal stress from single housing and provides a key insight into the mechanism mediating the effects of isolation on skeletal health.

Lay Summary

Social isolation is a major public health concern and is known to increase the risk for many diseases, including heart disease and dementia. The impact of social isolation on bone health, however, has not been well-studied. We previously found that four weeks of social isolation reduces bone in male mice. Isolated mice may experience more cold stress than mice housed in groups, as we commonly keep laboratory mice at temperatures below their ideal range, which could lead to bone loss. The aim of our study was therefore to test if housing mice at warmer temperatures, within their ideal temperature range, prevents isolation-induced bone loss in male mice. We found that housing mice at warmer temperatures did not fully prevent isolation-induced bone loss. We also found social isolation increased the expression of genes related to glucocorticoid signaling in bone across temperatures, as well as genes associated with mitochondrial metabolism within fat tissue. Overall, our results show that social isolation-induced bone loss is likely not a result of cold stress from single housing and provide insight into the mechanisms by which isolation causes bone loss.