Housing temperature dictates the systemic and tissue specific molecular responses to cancer in mice

Cancer cachexia is a metabolic condition affecting up to 80% of patients with cancer. Cachexia is mediated by reduced muscle and fat mass and impaired function, and it lowers survival for patients. With no approved drugs to treat cachexia, preclinical efforts focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying this condition to reveal treatment targets. Housing laboratory mice at ambient temperature imposes cold stress, leading to induced thermogenic activity and consequent whole-body metabolic adaptations. Yet, the impact of housing temperature in in vivo preclinical cachexia remains unknown. We found that thermoneutral (TN) housing in C26 carcinoma-bearing (C26) mice affected lean and fat mass, but not muscle weight or force. TN housing improved glucose tolerance in C26 mice, while enhancing circulating abundance of FGF21 and IL-6. Thermogenic tissues, especially brown adipose tissue, exhibited housing temperature-dependent molecular responses to cancer in oxygen consumption, ATP levels and SERCA ATPase activity, which are all crucial for cancer-induced whole-body metabolic adaptations. We conclude that molecular and systemic adaptations to cancer in mice critically depend on housing temperature, which should be considered in the design and interpretation of preclinical cancer studies.