Behavioral alterations and Fos protein immunoreactivity in brain regions of bile duct-ligated cirrhotic rats

Abstract

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) encompasses a variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including anxiety and psychomotor dysfunction. Although HE is a frequent complication of liver cirrhosis, the neurobiological substrates responsible for its clinical manifestations are largely unclear. In the present study, male Wistar rats were bile duct-ligated (BDL), a procedure which induces liver cirrhosis, and on the 21 st day after surgery tested in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and in an open field for anxiety and locomotor activity measurements. Analysis of Fos protein immunoreactivity (Fos-ir) was used to better understand the neurobiological alterations present in BDL animals. Plasma levels of ammonia were quantified and histopathological analysis of the livers was performed. BDL rats showed a significant decrease in the percentage of entries and time spent in the open arms of the EPM, an anxiogenic effect. These animals also presented significant decreases in Fos-ir in the lateral septal nucleus and medial amygdalar nucleus. Their ammonia plasma levels were significantly higher when compared to the sham group and the diagnosis of cirrhosis was confirmed by histopathological analysis. These results indicate that the BDL model induces anxiogenic results, possibly related to changes in the activation of anxiety-mediating circuitries and to increases in ammonia plasma levels.

Effects of electroacupuncture on stress and anxiety-related responses in rats

“…For example, stimulation of E36 activated the limbic system (Hui et al 2005) and F3 caused limbic-cortical deactivation (Fang et al 2007). Moreover, the HPA axis activity was altered by EEA (Xu et al 2004, Sun and Wang 2007, Zhu et al 2015, Le et al 2015. It has been suggested that the ability of one particular stimulus 1010 RICARDO M. BASSETTO et al…”

“…The behavioral tests did not interfere in the immunohistochemical analyzes, because the peak of the expression immunoreactivity Fos protein in response to a stimulus occurs in about 40 to 60 min (Cespedes et al 2010, Le Sueur-Maluf et al 2015.…”

Chondroitin Sulfate Protects the Liver in an Experimental Model of Extra-Hepatic Cholestasis Induced by Common Bile Duct Ligation

“…All surgical procedures were performed under inhalational anesthesia involving 1.5% isoflurane (Baxter, São Paulo, SP, Brazil), nitrous oxide (0.8 L/min), and oxygen (0.4 L/min) with clean surgical techniques as previously described [ 65 ]. Briefly, obstructive jaundice was induced by midline laparotomy and common bile duct exposure followed by double ligation and section between stitches.…”

Inhibitory Effects of Lactulose on Enteric Bacterial Dynamics and Gut Permeability in Bile-Duct Ligated Rats

“…The animals were submitted to a bile-duct ligation surgery as previously described. [10] Sham-animals were subjected to the same surgical procedure, except the bile duct was not ligated.…”