Effects of chronic stress on antioxidant defense system and liver function in male albino rats

Stress is becoming prevalent in our world today, its effects on physiological processes is a major concern. This research investigates the effects of chronic stress on the antioxidant defense system and liver function in male albino rats. Eighteen male albino rats were used for the study. They were divided into three groups: control group, group exposed to force swimming, and group subjected to social isolation. Following a four-week stress protocol, the rats' liver enzymes and antioxidant levels were determined using spectrophotometric assays. It was revealed from the findings of this work that rats exposed to swimming stress showed significant increases in liver enzymes, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (54.46 ±0.46 U/L) compared to controls (26.79 ±1.20 U/L), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (71.30±1.30 U/L) compared to controls (22.17 ±0.17 U/L) . Additionally, antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased to 197.14 ±2.14 units with swimming stress compared to controls (65.71±0.70 units), and catalase activity rose to 48.29±0.29 kU compared to controls (29.78±0.08 kU). The findings suggest that chronic stress can lead to liver damage and oxidative stress, with swimming stress having a greater impact than isolation stress. These results have implications for understanding the impact of chronic stress on liver function and overall health.