Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 12, 2025

The Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Inducing Anhedonia in Mice
Published on: October 24, 2018
Cumulative Effects of Low-Level Lead Exposure and Chronic Physiological Stress on Hepatic Dysfunction-A Preliminary
1Department of Built Environment, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA.
Abstract:
Chronic physiological stress and hepatic injury were explored in this cross-sectional study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010. Lead exposure was measured using Blood Lead Levels (BLL), which were divided into quartiles of exposure based on the distribution within the database. Allostatic load (AL), a variable representing chronic physiological stress, was operationalized using ten clinical markers. The geometric mean values for markers of liver injury of interest (a) Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), (b) Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), (c) Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), and (d) Gamma glutamyl-transferase (GGT) were explored in quartiles of lead exposure. Associations between AL and AST, ALT, ALP, and GGT among those exposed to lead were analyzed using linear regression models. In examining lead exposure in increasing quartiles, the geometric mean of the liver injury markers showed significant elevations as lead exposure levels increased. Simple linear regression revealed AL was positively associated with several markers of hepatic injury in all degrees of lead exposure. This study demonstrates the potential dangers of social and environmental exposures to liver health.
Related Concept Videos
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer

