Behavioral and Physiological Sex Differences Observed in an Animal Model of Fulminant Hepatic Encephalopathy in the Rat

• Published in: Physiology & behavior Vol. 62; no. 5; pp. 1113 - 1124
• Main Authors: Norton, Neil S, McConnell, James R, Rodriguez-Sierra, Jorge F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Elsevier Inc 01.11.1997; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Mapping; Female; Fulminant hepatic encephalopathy; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Hepatic Encephalopathy - chemically induced; Hepatic Encephalopathy - pathology; Hepatic Encephalopathy - physiopathology; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - drug effects; Hippocampus - pathology; Hippocampus - physiopathology; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Liver Function Tests; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - pathology; Neurons - physiology; Other diseases. Semiology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sex differences; Sex Factors; Thioacetamide; Thioacetamide; Fulminant hepatic encephalopathy; Sex differences; Behavior; Hippocampus; Alkaline phosphatase; Animal model; Rat; Liver; Central nervous system; Sex; Phosphoric monoester hydrolases; Hepatic disease; Esterases; Fulminant; Encephalopathy; Aspartate transaminase; Complication; Motricity; Nervous system diseases; Enzyme; Transferases; Rodentia; Cerebral disorder; Pathology; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Transaminases; Central nervous system disease; Body movement; Alanine transaminase; Sensorial perception; Digestive diseases; Hydrolases; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0031-9384; 1873-507X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9384(97)00267-9

Hepatic encephalopathy is characterized by a number of neuropsychiatric and motor disturbances observed in patients with liver dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to fully characterize behavioral and physiological sex differences in an animal model of fulminant hepatic encephalopathy (FHE). Male and female rats were administered thioacetamide (600 mg/kg) via i.p. (intraperitoneal) injection at Hours 0 and 24 and allowed to progress into the four stages of FHE. Male rats reached all four stages of FHE significantly earlier than female rats ( p < 0.05). The performance of the male rats deteriorated more quickly ( p < 0.05) than that of the females in all of the sensory and motor behavioral tests. Sex differences were observed in the liver enzymes of the FHE rats. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase were significantly greater ( p < 0.05) in male rats in all four stages of FHE. Significant increases were also observed in the levels of direct and total bilirubin ( p < 0.05). Neuronal damage was observed in the CA 1 and CA 2 regions of the hippocampus. In the CA 1 region, male rats displayed greater pathological changes in Stages III and IV ( p < 0.05) than female rats. The damage in the CA 2 region was only observed in Stage IV male rats. Our data indicate that observable behavioral and physiological sex differences occur in thioacetamide-induced FHE in the rat.