Integrated Molecular, Histological, and Physiological Evaluation of the Effects of Energy Drink on Liver and Kidney Tissues

Abstract

In recent years, the consumption of energy drinks (EDs) has experienced a worrying increase worldwide; they have been associated with many health issues, such as elevated blood pressure, cardiovascular difficulties, head pain, disturbed sleep, drug overuse, tension and excitement, and liver and kidney toxicity. The purpose of the current research is to estimate the impact of ED consumption at the different doses on renal and hepatic functions in rats. Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups (10 rats per group). The first group (control) received distilled water. Two groups received ED at different doses (0.5 and 3 mL/kg body weight) for 30-days. All treatments were administered by oral gavage. At the end of the experimental period, blood samples were collected to assay liver and kidney function tests. Liver and kidney samples were processed for histological evaluation. Exposure to ED at different doses induced highly significant increases in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels compared with the control group (P < 0.001). In contrast, serum creatinine (CREA) levels showed no statistically significant difference compared with the control group (P = 0.900). Furthermore, in comparison to controls, exposure to these two ED doses. Pronounced histopathological changes were observed in hepatic and renal tissues of the ED-treated rats. In conclusion, the investigation discovered that energy drink consumption significantly elevates hepatocyte function markers (ALT, AST, and ALP) and kidney injury markers (UREA and CREA) and tissue damage. These findings point to potential adverse liver and renal effects that should be considered in the development of regulatory policies on energy drink consumption.