Influence of caffeine on certain biochemical factors in rat model

Abstract Background Caffeine is a popular psychoactive substance that when used excessively can cause anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, and cardiovascular issues. Despite its ubiquitous use, the metabolic consequences of caffeine at different doses remain poorly understood. This study aims to address this gap by looking into the effects of caffeine on metabolic parameters in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods Three groups of rats were under investigation for 21 days in a controlled animal house environment. The first group functioned as a control, receiving normal basal diet. The second group received normal diet in addition to 5 mg caffeine/kg body weight, whereas the third group received normal diet in addition to 10 mg caffeine/kg body weight. Blood was withdrawn from the retro orbital vein of rats for serum preparation for the determination of: albumin, glucose, cholesterol, AST, and ALT (aspartate aminotransaminase and alanine aminotransaminase). In other separated tubes, blood was also collected on EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) for the complete blood count (CBC). Body weight fluctuations for control and tested groups were also recorded. Results Short-term administration of low and high levels caffeine (5 mg/kg body weight and 10 mg/kg body weight) did not result in significant changes in albumin, glucose CBC, ALT, and AST levels when compared to the control group. However, the experimental and control groups differed significantly in terms of cholesterol levels and body weight. Conclusion The current study found that short-term caffeine consumption had no significant effect on some of the liver function parameters albumin and glucose levels. However, there were significant alterations for cholesterol level and body weight in Sprague-Dawley rats.