PUBLICATION
Effects of anxiolytics in zebrafish: Similarities and differences between benzodiazepines, buspirone and ethanol
- Authors
- Gebauer, D.L., Pagnussat, N., Piato, A.L., Schaefer, I.C., Bonan, C.D., and Lara, D.R.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-110524-29
- Date
- 2011
- Source
- Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior 99(3): 480-6 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Bonan, Carla Denise
- Keywords
- zebrafish, anxiety, benzodiazepines, shoal cohesion, light/dark task
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Anti-Anxiety Agents/pharmacology*
- Benzodiazepines/pharmacology*
- Buspirone/pharmacology*
- Darkness
- Ethanol/pharmacology*
- Female
- Lighting
- Male
- Motor Activity/drug effects*
- Motor Activity/physiology
- Psychomotor Performance/drug effects*
- Psychomotor Performance/physiology
- Zebrafish
- PubMed
- 21570997 Full text @ Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav.
Citation
Gebauer, D.L., Pagnussat, N., Piato, A.L., Schaefer, I.C., Bonan, C.D., and Lara, D.R. (2011) Effects of anxiolytics in zebrafish: Similarities and differences between benzodiazepines, buspirone and ethanol. Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior. 99(3):480-6.
Abstract
There is growing interest in zebrafish as a model organism in behavioral pharmacology research. Several anxiety behaviors have been characterized in zebrafish, but the effect of anxiolytic drugs on these parameters has been scarcely studied. The purpose of this work was to assess the predictive validity of acute treatment with anxiolytic drugs on behavioral parameters of anxiety. In the first task we simultaneously observed behavior of adult zebrafish on four parameters: height in the tank, locomotion, color, and shoal cohesion. The second task was the assessment of light/dark preference for 5min. The benzodiazepines clonazepam, bromazepam, diazepam, and a moderate dose of ethanol significantly reduced shoal cohesion. Buspirone specifically increased zebrafish exploration of higher portions of the tank. In the light/dark task, all benzodiazepines, buspirone, and ethanol increased time spent in the light compartment. After treatment with anxiolytics, fish typically spent more than 60s and rarely less than 40s in the light compartment whereas controls (n=45) spent 33.3±14.4s and always less than 60s in the light compartment. Propranolol had no clear effects in these tasks. These results suggest that light/dark preference in zebrafish is a practical, low-cost, and sensitive screening task for anxiolytic drugs. Height in the tank and shoal cohesion seem to be useful behavioral parameters in discriminating different classes of these drugs.
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