Food Anticipatory Activity in Female Mice With and Without Wheels

There is a trend in research to use male mice for research. Little is known about female mice food anticipatory activity (FAA), but what is known is that female mice have less FAA, while males experience enhanced FAA with the presence of a wheel. The study sought to determine whether female mice FAA response is enhanced with a wheel. Male and female C57BL/6 mice were used and placed in cages with a functional wheel or a locked wheel. Motion and wheel data were collected, and a 4-hour food restriction was placed on the mice. Ultimately, males and females showed no difference in FAA, and the presence of the wheel did not enhance either sex’s FAA. The insignificant differences between the groups may be due to the mice being calorically restricted.