PUBLICATION

Sustained Effects of Developmental Exposure to Ethanol on Zebrafish Anxiety-Like Behaviour

Authors
Baiamonte, M., Parker, M.O., Vinson, G.P., Brennan, C.H.
ID
ZDB-PUB-160211-5
Date
2016
Source
PLoS One   11: e0148425 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Brennan, Caroline
Keywords
Zebrafish, Diazepam, Larvae, Hydrocortisone, Adults, Psychological stress, Behavior, Rodents
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Anxiety/chemically induced*
  • Behavior, Animal*
  • Diazepam/therapeutic use
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects*
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Ethanol/adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Hydrocortisone/blood
  • Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/drug effects
  • Larva/drug effects
  • Locomotion
  • Male
  • Motor Activity/drug effects
  • Pituitary-Adrenal System/drug effects
  • Stress, Physiological/drug effects*
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/growth & development*
PubMed
26862749 Full text @ PLoS One
Abstract
In zebrafish developmentally exposed to ambient ethanol (20mM-50mM) 1-9 days post fertilization (dpf), the cortisol response to stress has been shown to be significantly attenuated in larvae, juveniles and 6 month old adults. These data are somewhat at variance with similar studies in mammals, which often show heightened stress responses. To test whether these cortisol data correlate with behavioural changes in treated animals, anxiety-like behaviour of zebrafish larvae (9dpf and 10dpf) and juveniles (23dpf) was tested in locomotor assays designed to this end. In open field tests treated animals were more exploratory, spending significantly less time at the periphery of the arena. Behavioural effects of developmental exposure to ethanol were sustained in 6-month-old adults, as judged by assessment of thigmotaxis, novel tank diving and scototaxis. Like larvae and juveniles, developmentally treated adults were generally more exploratory, and spent less time at the periphery of the arena in thigmotaxis tests, less time at the bottom of the tank in the novel tank diving tests, and less time in the dark area in scototaxis tests. The conclusion that ethanol-exposed animals showed less anxiety-like behaviour was validated by comparison with the effects of diazepam treatment, which in thigmotaxis and novel tank diving tests had similar effects to ethanol pretreatment. There is thus a possible link between the hypophyseal-pituitary-interrenal axis and the behavioural actions of developmental ethanol exposure. The mechanisms require further elucidation.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping