Evaluation of metabolic and morphological disorders of the hepatobiliary system in the dynamics of vibration exposure

Introduction. Vibration exposure to the body altering both neurohumoral regulation and functional parameters of the nervous system, leads to the development of tissue hypoxia and damage to cells of various organs. Studies of the effect of this physical factor on other organs have been published, but there are few studies of their biochemical status and morphological state, especially at the early stages of exposure.

The aim of the study was to study the features of changes in the morpho-functional state of the hepatobiliary system in rats in the dynamics of intermittent vibration exposure.

Materials and methods. The experiments were performed on male Wistar rats (n=59) weighing 160-240 g. An experimental group of rats was exposed to vibration at a fundamental frequency of 16 Hz, with a vibration acceleration of 120 dB. Vibration exposure was carried out in an intermittent mode. The morpho-functional state of the hepatobiliary system in rats was studied using a complex of biochemical and histological research methods. Blood sampling was performed in rats from the tail vein after 3, 6 and 9 weeks of the experiment. The biochemical parameters of blood serum, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase, cholinesterase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase, were detected by standard methods using Vector-Best diagnostic kits. Structural changes due to prolonged vibration exposure were assessed according to the results of morphological investigation of rat liver tissue. The results were processed using the Statistica software 10.0.

Results. At different examination periods, there were discordant reliable changes in the enzyme activity in the blood serum: increased AST activity at week 6 was aligned with the control by the end of the experiment; ALT activity was reliably raised at week 3 of the experiment, decreased to normal values at week 6 and increased again by week 9. There was a reliable decrease in the activity of alkaline phosphatase by the end of the 9^th week of exposure, a decrease in the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase by week 3, a sharp increase by week 6 with a gradual decrease by the end of the experiment. Significant changes in activity by week 6 were detected in cholinesterase and gamma-glutamyl transferase. A comparison of the results of histological changes at the 3^rd, 6^th and 9^th weeks of exposure to vibration on the liver shows progressive morphological and structural changes in tissues, indicating to increasing damage, microcirculation disorders, inflammation and cellular dystrophy. While the changes only begin to appear at week 3, at weeks 6 and 9 they become more pronounced and reach a level associated with chronic tissue damage, which can lead to significant and, most likely, irreversible structural consequences in the future.

Limitations. In vivo experiments limit their number by directive documents on the protection of experimental animals, aimed at shortening research protocols and minimizing the number of test animals without compromising the reliability of the results.

Conclusion. The obtained results allow distinguishing three stages in the dynamics of intermittent vibration exposure to the hepatobiliary system. These stages include the first, during weeks 1–3 of the experiment, triggers adaptive mechanisms in the liver, resulting in increased cellular functional activity; the second stage of decompensation, a transitional period from the body’s physiological response to pathological disorders (week 6 of the experiment); and the third stage, exhaustion (week 9). Vibration exposure leads to an early breakdown of the liver’s compensatory mechanisms and the development of degenerative changes in the parenchyma, with the formation of foci of inflammation.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Research Institute for Complex Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases” (Minutes of meeting No. 4, § 2, dated November 18, 2021). Animal care, feeding, and withdrawal from the experiment were carried out in accordance with the requirements of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes (ETS No. 123, Strasbourg, March 18, 1986).

Contribution:
Gorokhova L.G. – concept and design of the study, conducting the experiment, material collection and data processing, writing the text;
Gostyaeva E.P. – material collection and data processing;
Zhukova A.G. – writing the text, editing, material collection and data processing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: April 24, 2026 / Revised: June 17, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: August 14, 2026

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