Neurobehavioral Roles of Acrylamide in Rats Fed a Cafeteria Diet from Weaning to Adulthood: Possible Distinctive Effects

Introduction. Acrylamide, an endocrine-disrupting compound with neurotoxic properties, has been shown to affect various neurobehavioral parameters, including anxiety. This study aimed to examine the effects of varying acrylamide doses on neurobehavioral parameters in male Wistar rats fed an obesogenic cafeteria diet from weaning to adulthood. Methods. Healthy male Wistar rats (four weeks old, n=24) were divided into four groups: control diet (CON), cafeteria diet (CAF), CAF plus acrylamide at 50 μg/kg body weight (AA1) administered by oral gavage, and CAF plus acrylamide at 170 μg/kg body weight (AA2) administered by oral gavage. The treatments were continued for twelve weeks, with each group consisting of six rats (n=6). An open field test (OFT) was conducted to assess anxiety-like behavior and locomotor activity, and a novel object recognition test (NORT) was performed to assess short-term recognition memory. Results. The total distance traveled was higher in the CAF and AA1 groups compared to the CON group. The total number of immobile episodes was lower in the AA1 and AA2 groups than in the CAF and CON groups. The number of entries into the corner zones was higher in the CAF and AA1 groups compared to the CON group. The distance traveled in the corner zones was higher in the CAF and AA1 groups compared to the CON group. The principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the number of the corner zones (PC1) and the distance traveled in the center zone (PC2) were the primary variables separating the groups. Blood plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels showed a significant negative correlation with the distance traveled in the center zone and a significant positive correlation with time spent in the corner zones. Conclusions. The present study demonstrated that consumption of an obesogenic cafeteria diet alone and exposure to lower doses of acrylamide (50 μg/kg) in combination with the cafeteria diet induced anxiety-like behavior and impaired locomotor activity in male Wistar rats. Additionally, the findings suggest a link between inflammation and the onset of anxiety-like behaviors. However, further research is necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.