Investigation of self-care behaviours in a rat model of acute liver injury induced by paracetamol

Abstract

Aims: Acute liver failure is a clinical condition characterized by sudden onset, high morbidity, and mortality in the absence of any known liver disease. The present study aimed to investigate the status of self-care, anhedonia, and anxiety-like behaviors in a paracetamol-induced acute liver injury (ALI) model. Methods: Twelve adult male Wistar Albino rats were divided into two groups: a control group (n=6) and an acute liver damage group (n=6). The control group received 1 ml/kg physiological saline intraperitoneally (i.p.), while the ALI group received a single dose of 750 mg/kg paracetamol (i.p.). Behavioral tests, including the open field test (OFT), splash test, and sucrose preference test, were performed. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzyme levels were measured. Results: AST and ALT levels were higher in the acute liver damage group than in the control group (p<0.05). In the ALI group, the frequency and duration of grooming decreased, and the grooming latency time increased (p<0.001). In the OFT, locomotor activity parameters decreased while anxiety-like behaviors increased (p<0.05). Sucrose solution consumption decreased to below 65% in the ALI group and was significantly reduced compared to the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: In the ALI model, self-care behavior patterns were negatively affected in duration and frequency. Similarly, locomotor activity and exploratory behavior were decreased, and anxiety-like behaviors increased in the open-field test. Anhedonia was also observed in the sucrose preference test. Further studies on ALI are needed to investigate the negative behavioral changes observed.