Biomaterial Database

Effects of chronic experimental liver dysfunction and L-tryptophan on behaviour in the rat. 1978

M D Tricklebank, and J L Smart, and D L Bloxam, and G Curzon

Rats with chronic experimental portocaval anastomosis were hypoactive as indicated by diminished activity in the home cage, during habituation in red light to an observation box and during exposure in white light to an open-field. Food intake and responsiveness to electric shock were also decreased. However, there was an abnormally high frequency of social activity when anastomosed rats were paired together after having been caged singly for 3 weeks. Also, sham-operated rats interacted more with anastomosed rats than they did with other sham-operated animals. Anastomosis also raised brain concentrations of tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. Administration of tryptophan to sham-operated rats increased shock threshold and decreased ambulation in an open-field. Thus, while anastomosed rats are not comatose they do have considerable behavioural abnormalities for which brain tryptophan changes may be in part responsible.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008107	Liver Diseases	Pathological processes of the LIVER.	Liver Dysfunction,Disease, Liver,Diseases, Liver,Dysfunction, Liver,Dysfunctions, Liver,Liver Disease,Liver Dysfunctions
D008297	Male		Males
D009043	Motor Activity	Body movements of a human or an animal as a behavioral phenomenon.	Activities, Motor,Activity, Motor,Motor Activities
D001835	Body Weight	The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms.	Body Weights,Weight, Body,Weights, Body
D004326	Drinking	The consumption of liquids.	Water Consumption,Water Intake,Drinkings
D004435	Eating	The consumption of edible substances.	Dietary Intake,Feed Intake,Food Intake,Macronutrient Intake,Micronutrient Intake,Nutrient Intake,Nutritional Intake,Ingestion,Dietary Intakes,Feed Intakes,Intake, Dietary,Intake, Feed,Intake, Food,Intake, Macronutrient,Intake, Micronutrient,Intake, Nutrient,Intake, Nutritional,Macronutrient Intakes,Micronutrient Intakes,Nutrient Intakes,Nutritional Intakes
D004597	Electroshock	Induction of a stress reaction in experimental subjects by means of an electrical shock; applies to either convulsive or non-convulsive states.	Electroconvulsive Shock,Electroconvulsive Shocks,Electroshocks,Shock, Electroconvulsive,Shocks, Electroconvulsive
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001522	Behavior, Animal	The observable response an animal makes to any situation.	Autotomy Animal,Animal Behavior,Animal Behaviors
D012919	Social Behavior	Any behavior caused by or affecting another individual or group usually of the same species.	Sociality,Behavior, Social,Behaviors, Social,Social Behaviors