NEUROBEHAVIOURAL, HAEMATOLOGICAL AND BRAIN BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN WISTAR RATS SUBJECTED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND ADMINISTERED WITH LYCOPENE
NEUROBEHAVIOURAL, HAEMATOLOGICAL AND BRAIN BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN WISTAR RATS SUBJECTED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND ADMINISTERED WITH LYCOPENE
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Date
2012-10
Authors
OGUNDEJI, Tunde
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Abstract
The aim of the study was to evaluate neurobehavioural, haematological and brain
biochemical changes in Wistar rats subjected to psychological stress (that is, fear/anxietyinduced
stress) and administered with lycopene. Twenty-eight adult male Wistar rats were
randomly assigned to four groups each comprising seven animals: unstressed (U-Control),
unstressed + lycopene (U+Lyco), stressed (S-Control) and stressed + lycopene (S+Lyco).
During the 14-day period of the experiment, olive oil (1 ml/kg/day) was administered
singly or mixed with lycopene (10 mg/kg/day) by gastric gavage to each rat in the groups.
U-Control rats were administered olive oil only while U+Lyco rats were administered with
lycopene mixed with olive oil. S-Control rats were subjected to psychological stress and
administered olive oil only while S+Lyco rats were subjected to psychological stress and
administered lycopene mixed with olive oil. S-Control and S+Lyco were subjected to
psychological stress by exposure to the following tests/tasks at specified periods: openfield
test on days 3 and 10; escapable foot-shock on day 13 followed by a situational
reminder on day 14; excitability score test on day 14; inclined plane performance task and
forepaw grip time task on days 1, 7 and 14. U-Control and U+Lyco did not receive such
exposure. At the end of the study period, brain and blood samples collected after sacrificing
the animals were analyzed for brain MDA and electrolytes concentrations; activities of
superoxide dismutase, catalase and acetylcholinesterase; PCV, Hb, RBC, WBC, DLC, TP
as well as EOF and erythrocyte MDA concentrations. The results showed that
psychological stress causes behavioural, sensorimotor and cognitive deficits; decreased
brain superoxide dismutase, catalase and acetylcholinesterase activity; brain electrolytes
imbalance and haematological alteration. Lycopene ameliorated the effect of psychological
stress on behavioural, cognitive, sensorimotor performance, brain biochemical and
haematological parameters. In conclusion, ameliorative effect of lycopene on
psychologically-induced changes may be due to its antioxidant property.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Award of Master Degree in Veterinary Physiology Department of Veterinary Physiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Keywords
NEUROBEHAVIOURAL, HAEMATOLOGICAL,, BRAIN BIOCHEMICAL,, WISTAR RATS,