Senescence in Aplysia is characterized by declining weight, reproduction (egg laying), reflex response and finally death in 11 13 months [ 32].
As a hormone it has important functions in the regulation of body weight, reproduction, immune functions, bone formation and growth [ 1].
These results suggest that Bmal1's contribution to the circadian phenotype seen in Bmal1 −/− mice is distinct from its role in the maintenance of normal activity levels, body weight, reproduction, and longevity.
Assimilation and metabolic rates are modelled as functions of core weight, while reproduction is entirely dependent of storage.
The G-Lox-HSP60 mice were normal in development, weight, and reproduction, with EGFP expression in most organs.
At enrolment detailed information on diet, smoking habits, lifestyle, weight, height, reproduction, medical treatment, and other socio-economic characteristics and environmental exposures were collected.
Ecological and functional endpoints (survival, weight change, reproduction rate and neutral red retention by coelomocytes) have been reported in a previous study [ 37].
Inbreeding depression has been documented for birth weight, survival, reproduction and resistance to environmental stressors (reviewed in Keller and Waller 2002).
It is becoming increasingly apparent that many of these processes persist at a low level in the adult hypothalamus, raising the question of whether seasonal cycles of growth, body weight and reproduction are a recapitulation of these early developmental mechanisms (Hazlerigg and Lincoln, 2011).
For the results presented in Additional file 1: Figure S7, an inbreeding depression parameter was introduced as a sampling weight before reproduction of GFP hermaphrodites relative to the wild type trioecious females, according to the C. elegans androdioecious model (see main text and [ 52]).
Considering chronobiological aspects of melatonin, it regulates the circadian day-night-rhythm and seasonal bio-rhythms,, and independent of that, melatonin has been shown in the mammalian system to modulate immune defense responses,, body weight and reproduction and to exert tumor growth-inhibitory and anti-jet lag effects.
