NL Journal of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
(ISSN: 3108-0502)

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Age-Dependent Effects of Paraquat-Induced Parkinsonism on Neurobehaviour in Male Wistar Rats

Author(s) : Kelechi Emmanuel Ichie, Azuoma Lasbrey Asomugha*, Izuchukwu Azuka Okafor.
DOI : 10.71168/NMP.02.01.120

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Abstract

Background: Paraquat (PQ), a widely used herbicide, is implicated in Parkinson’s disease (PD)-like neurodegeneration via oxidative stress mechanisms. Age is a critical factor influencing susceptibility to neurotoxins. This study examined the age-dependent effects of paraquat-induced Parkinsonism on neurobehavioural outcomes in male Wistar rats. Methods: Sixty-three male Wistar rats were stratified into juvenile, young-adult, and adult cohorts and randomly assigned to control, paraquat, or PQ+Recovery groups (n = 7 per group). Paraquat (10 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered biweekly for three weeks; recovery groups were monitored for an additional two months. Neurobehavioural assessments including hanging wire, open field, and Y-maze tests, were conducted at baseline, post-exposure, and post-recovery. Data were analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA (p ≤ 0.05). Key Findings: Spontaneous alternation showed no significant differences across age groups. Latency-to-fall remained unchanged in juvenile and young-adult rats but declined significantly in adult PQ+Recovery animals (p = 0.05). Adult paraquat-exposed rats exhibited reduced line crossings (p = 0.02). Urine pool frequency decreased significantly in young-adult paraquat (p = 0.0010) and PQ+Recovery groups (p = 0.0016), with notable group effects in young-adult (p = 0.007) and juvenile cohorts (p = 0.047). Conclusion: Paraquat exposure induces mild but age-dependent neurobehavioral impairments in male Wistar rats, with adult animals exhibiting the greatest vulnerability. These findings underscore the importance of age as a determinant in neurotoxicological risk and support the use of age-stratified models in Parkinsonism research. Keywords: Paraquat, Parkinsonism, Age-dependence, Neurobehaviour, Wistar rats.

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