Evaluation of the Co-Exposure of Acute Restraint Stress and Rem Sleep Deprivation on Liver Function in Female Wistar Rats

Abstract

Co-exposure to psychological and physiological stressors, such as acute restraint stress and REM sleep deprivation, may have harmful effects on hepatic integrity that are synergistic. This study investigated the effects of combined acute restraint stress and REM sleep deprivation on the liver function of female Wistar rats. Twenty-four female Wistar rats (n=6) were divided randomly into four groups: control, restraint stress only (RSS; 30 minutes/day), sleep deprivation (SDD; six hours every 48 hours), and restraint stress + sleep deprivation (RSD). After 28 days, rats were sacrificed and key markers of hepatic function were measured in serum, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) total protein, globulin and albumin. REM sleep deprivation alone (SDD) significantly increased (p<0.05) serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, and GGT compared to control. Restraint stress + sleep deprivation (RSD) showed a further significant increase (p<0.01) in AST and ALT compared to both control and RSS groups. Total protein was significantly decreased (p<0.05) in the SDD and RSD groups. No significant changes were observed in albumin or globulin levels across the groups. The study concludes that REM sleep deprivation is a potent inducer of hepatic injury, and co-exposure with acute restraint stress has a synergistic effect, exacerbating hepatocellular damage and impairing the liver's synthetic function. This demonstrates the need of managing interrelated stress and sleep disruption for maintaining liver health.