Non-invasive Neurologic Assessment in Recovery and Treatment Phase Acrylamide Exposure in Ageing Wistar Rats

Acrylamide is a chemical that naturally forms in starchy food products during every day high temperature cooking. The ingredients, storage and processing conditions greatly influence acrylamide formation in food.  Home-cooking choices can have a substantial impact on the level of acrylamide humans are exposed to through the diet. This study scientifically determined the neurologic impact of acrylamide treatment and recovery in male wistar rats of different ages. A total of 20 male wistar rats were randomly sampled into 4 groups aged 45, 60, 75 and 90 days. The treatment dose was 50 mg/kg of acrylamide for 7 days. The study duration was 15 days with 2 phases; day 1 to 7 for exposure phase and day 8 to 14 as recovery phase after acrylamide exposure. Neurologic tests performed include open field test (OFT), buried reward test (BRT) and hand grip test (HGT). The study data was statistically significant at a confidence interval less or equal to 95%. Acrylamide adversely affected the tested physiologic responses in all ages during the phase of exposure. The distance covered and escape attempts were significantly reduced        in all ages during acrylamide exposure phase with significant recovery in 45 and 60 days old animals. Group 45 and 60 days old animals had a wider field area during recovery phase but no observed improvement in exploratory behavior in ages 75 and 90 days. Olfactory and neuromuscular function was significantly improved in all age groups during recovery, however, the response of ages 45, 60 and 75 were similar during recovery. In this study, Acrylamide caused manifestations typical of a neurotoxic agent. The neurologic effect of acrylamide may be reversed if exposure period with the studied dose is within 7 days. Recovery in cognitive, exploratory, emotional, olfactory and neuromuscular function may be dependent on age during exposure.