Changes in Rat Weight due to Homocysteine Injection as an Animal Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Homocysteine in one of the compounds used to induced alzheimer’s disease in rats. Hyperhomocysteinemia triggers oxidative stress, nerve inflammation and the formation of amyloid-beta in the brain. This can affect a brain region involved in appetite regulation, which leads to weight loss. This study aimed to analyzed weight changes of rats injected with homocysteine for 7, 14 and 21 days. Nine of Sprague dawley rats, aged 8-12 weeks with weight ranging between 150-200 grams, were randomly divided into three groups. The first group was injected with homocysteine for 7 days. The second and third groups received injections with homocysteine for 14 and 21 days respectively. The rats were weighed before treatment and in 7, 14, and 21 days after homocysteine injection. The average weight of rats in each group increases of 3.33±1.15, 5.00±2.00, and 2.33±3.51 grams, respectively. There was a significant difference in weight between before and after homocysteine injection for 7 days in the first group (p=0.038) and 14 days in the second group (p=0.049), while the weight of rats in the third group did not have a significant change (p=0.369). There was no significant difference in weight among the group after homocysteine injection (p=0.182). The weight of alzheimer’s model rats increased slowly after being injected with homocysteine for 7, 14, and 21 days. The low weight gain is similar to the condition of alzheimer’s patients who generally experience weight loss. It is necessary to monitor the food intake of alzheimer’s patients to prevent further weight loss.