By studying the body chemistry of hibernating Arctic ground squirrels, researchers have found that the animals are able to recycle their body’s own nutrients to survive during a long, inactive winter.
By studying the body chemistry of hibernating Arctic ground squirrels, researchers have found that the animals are able to recycle their body’s own nutrients to survive during a long, inactive winter.
A University of Alaska Fairbanks-led study monitored ground squirrels in a laboratory environment for two years, measuring the almost undetectable flow of nutrients through their hibernating bodies. As the ground squirrels’ muscles slowly broke down in temperatures just above freezing, researchers found that the animals were able to convert the free nitrogen they were creating into amino acids.
Using those amino acids, the ground squirrels may be able to synthesize protein in tissues such as lungs and kidneys, and skeletal muscle.
The discovery could unlock more of the mysteries of hibernation, leading to new insights in human medicine. The study was published Dec. 7 in the journal Nature Metabolism.
Read more at: University of Alaska Fairbanks
A researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks holds a hibernating Arctic ground squirrel. (Photo Credit: Carla Frare photo)
