The Effect of Stress on Glucose Metabolism and Growth Performance in Sprague Dawley Rats

This study determines the dosage and duration dependent effect of cortisol-induced stress on glucose metabolism and growth performance. To achieve this objective, 35 Wistar rats, divided into group A as control, B as low-dose test (40mg/kg/bw), C as moderate-dose test (80mg/kg/bw), and D as high-dose test (160mg/kg/bw). The test groups were further divided into subgroups I and II, denoting the durations of the test-experiment (short term - 4 days and long term -8 days) respectively. In the course of the experiment, weight changes were monitored and blood samples were obtained for blood glucose analysis. The result showed that there was a significant dose/duration dependent weight loss (p<0.05) in all the test groups. However, in test group C and D, a non-significant dose/duration dependent increase in blood glucose levels was observed. Our findings suggest therefore, that increasing stress may lead to weight loss while ironically increasing blood glucose level; possibly by simultaneous induction of gluconeogenesis. Keywords: Stress, Hydrocortisone, Glucose Metabolism, Overweight, Obesit