Effect of chronic stress on the degree of acrylamide toxicity in rats

Introduction. Chronic stress plays an important role in the development of a wide range of mental, somatic and behavioural disorders, and therefore is a risk factor for the health in living organisms. A negative effect on the state of the nervous system is also observed when the body is poisoned with acrylamide, which is a substance of the second class of danger and is considered toxic and carcinogenic. Exposure of the body to mental and toxic stressors leads to autonomic and neuroendocrine activation, which, in turn, manifests itself as special behavioural patterns. The purpose of the experiment was to assess the effect of chronic stress on the degree of acrylamide toxicity in rats. Materials and methods. The experiment was conducted on white outbred rats with an average weight of 200 g of both sexes (n=60), which were evenly distributed into five groups: negative control, chronic stress, acrylamide, acrylamide + treatment, acrylamide + chronic stress. Throughout the study, the animals were kept under standard conditions with 12 hours of artificial lighting during the day, a relatively constant level of humidity (30–70%) and an air temperature of 20–25 °C. Behavioural tests were conducted once a week for one calendar month using a 40×40 hole board, a multifunctional cage to assess general activity, and an elevated plus maze with an ANY-maze video tracking system. Biochemical parameters were assessed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Results. Analysis of behaviour on a board with holes did not reveal statistically significant results (H=8.987; p=0.061). When comparing vertical and horizontal motor activity between groups, statistically significant differences were found (p<0.05). AST levels were higher in the stress groups, while cholesterol levels in the same groups were lower (p<0.05). Limitations. Laboratory animals of only one biological species were used for the experiment. The toxicant was used only in one concentration. Conclusion. Chronic stress may influence on acrylamide toxicity in rats to a certain extent.