Effects of Environmental Noise Stress on Mouse Metabolism

Environmental noise is associated with various health outcomes. However, the mechanisms through which these outcomes influence behavior and metabolism remain unclear. This study investigated how environmental noise affects the liver, adipose tissue, and brain metabolic functions, leading to behavioral and body weight changes. Mice were divided into a noise group exposed to construction noise and an unexposed (control) group. Behavior and body weight changes were monitored over 50 days. Early changes in response to noise exposure were assessed by measuring plasma cortisol and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression in brain tissues on days 1, 15, and 30. Chronic responses, including changes in lipoprotein and fat metabolism and neurotransmitters, were investigated by analyzing serum lipoprotein levels and body fat mass and evaluating liver, fat, and brain tissue after 50 days. The noise group showed higher locomotor activity and reduced anxiety in the open-field and Y-maze tests. Noise exposure caused an initial weight loss; however, chronic noise increased fat mass and induced adipocyte hypertrophy. Our findings underscore the role of environmental noise-induced stress in augmenting locomotor activity and reducing anxiety in mice through neurotransmitter modulation while increasing the risk of obesity by decreasing HDL cholesterol levels and promoting adipocyte hypertrophy.