Mouse study reveals sex differences in temperature sensing
Findings highlight limitations of male-only preclinical research
Female mice’s preference for warmer environments reflects differences in two temperature sensors, according to a King’s College London study published in The Journal of Physiology. The warmth-sensing TRPM2 and coolness-sensing TRPM8 ion channels activate at higher temperatures in females than males.
Experiments altering or blocking the sensors changed temperature preferences. Testosterone explained part, but not all, of the difference. Earlier work largely used male mice, yet removing TRPM2 had little effect in females. The researchers cannot yet establish whether the difference lies in temperature-detecting nerves or the brain’s interpretation. Humans were not studied.
Why this matters for policymakers
- Research funding Funders could scrutinise whether preclinical designs adequately address biological sex.
- Evidence quality Sex-specific reporting could expose effects obscured by male-only experiments.
- Human application These findings alone do not justify changes to workplace temperature standards.
Image: Illustrative photograph of laboratory mouse handling at Crimean Federal University, not the King’s College London study. Photograph: Andrey Chernogorodov, CC BY 4.0. Andrey Chernogorodov, CC BY 4.0. Resized and converted to JPEG for display.