When mice were made sick with a bacterial toxin, they got colder in the cold—but so did mice that were fed a specific gut bacteria, even though they ate the same amount and didn’t gain weight.
Scientific Claim
In mice, chronic inflammation from lipopolysaccharide reduces core body temperature during cold exposure, and this effect is replicated by oral administration of Sphingomonas paucimobilis, independent of changes in food intake or body weight.
Original Statement
“LPS treatment can decrease the core body temperature of mice... gavage of S. paucimobilis suppressed the level of UCP1... leading to abolishment of adaptive thermogenesis... no change in food intake and body weight.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The claim uses 'reduces' and 'replicated' appropriately to describe observed physiological outcomes in mice. No causal language oversteps the data, as the effect is directly measured.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The study found that a bad bacteria in fat tissue, triggered by a toxin, makes mice colder in the cold because it blocks their body’s natural heating system—without making them eat less or gain weight.