The effect of the combined effects of carbon monoxide and harmful physical factors on the behavioral activity of animals

Introduction. In the course of their work, firefighters are exposed to many harmful and dangerous factors, among which the chemical factor takes the leading place. Carbon monoxide is an integral part of any combustion, and its leading role in the toxic effect of combustion products is confirmed by numerous experimental data. The results obtained in the experiment on animals are of great importance in the study of combined effects.

The purpose of the study was to study the behavioral activity of animals under combined exposure to carbon monoxide and harmful physical factors.

Material and methods. The study was performed on outbred white male rats 3 months of age, in two directions: the study of the combined effects of carbon monoxide and elevated air temperature and the study of the combined effects of carbon monoxide and vibroacoustic factor. In each of the experimental models, rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: the first group was exposed to a single physical factor under study, the second group was exposed to multiple physical factors (for 14 days), the third group was exposed to a single exposure to carbon monoxide, the fourth group was exposed to multiple exposures to monoxide carbon, the fifth group was subjected to a single combined effect of a physical factor and carbon monoxide; the sixth group was subjected to multiple combined effects of the physical factor and carbon monoxide. The study of the behavioral activity of animals was carried out using the “Open field” and “Elevated plus maze” methods.

Results. The data obtained indicate that the combined effect of carbon monoxide and harmful physical factors causes a change in the indicators of behavioral reactions of animals, while if with a single exposure most of the indicators return to the background values in a day, then with repeated exposure they remain significantly changed.

Conclusion. The data obtained can be applied in studying the long-term effects of the combined effects of carbon monoxide and harmful physical factors on the body of firefighters.

Compliance with ethical standards. The Local ethics committee of the North-West Public Health Research Center of the Federal Service for Supervision in Protection of the Rights of Consumer and Man Wellbeing approved this study carried out under the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals Used for Experiments or Other Scientific Purposes (ETS N 123), Directive of the European Parliament and Council of the European Union 2010/63/EU of 22.09.2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.

Author contributions:
Kriyt V.E. — the concept and design of the study, writing a text;
Reinyuk V.L. — editing;
Sladkova Yu.N. — the collection and processing of material, editing;
Pyatibrat A.O. — statistical analysis.
All co-authors — approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article.

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

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: September 08, 2022 / Accepted: September 22, 2022 / Published: October 30, 2022