PUBLICATION

The side-by-side exploratory test: a simple automated protocol for the evaluation of adult zebrafish behavior simultaneously with social interaction

Authors
Schaefer, I.C., Siebel, A.M., Piato, A.L., Bonan, C.D., Vianna, M.R., Lara, D.R.
ID
ZDB-PUB-150611-4
Date
2015
Source
Behavioural pharmacology   26(7 Spec No): 691-6 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Bonan, Carla Denise, Vianna, Mônica Ryff Moreira Roca
Keywords
antidepressants, anxiolytics, behavior, shoaling, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Bromazepam/pharmacology
  • Buspirone/pharmacology
  • Citalopram/pharmacology
  • Clonazepam/pharmacology
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Exploratory Behavior*/drug effects
  • Fear
  • Female
  • Fluoxetine/pharmacology
  • Male
  • Pattern Recognition, Automated/methods*
  • Psychological Tests*
  • Psychotropic Drugs/pharmacology
  • Social Behavior*
  • Software*
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Vision, Ocular
  • Zebrafish*/physiology
PubMed
26061352 Full text @ Behav. Pharmacol.
Abstract
The assessment of shoaling in adult zebrafish is technically difficult, but important, given their social nature. The present study aimed to characterize a new protocol using simple automated tracking software to evaluate general behavior and social interaction simultaneously. To this end, we used a single tank with a central transparent glass division and placed one zebrafish on each side for 5 min. This strategy allows fish to interact visually at the same time that individual automated evaluation of behavior can be easily performed. Our results showed that, when two fish are placed side-by-side, there is an increase in their height in the tank compared with isolated fish and they remain close to each other. The pharmacological treatments with benzodiazepines (bromazepam and clonazepam) and the serotonergic drugs buspirone, fluoxetine, and escitalopram did not affect locomotion at the concentrations tested, except for the highest concentration of buspirone. Nevertheless, benzodiazepines increased interfish distance (i.e. reduced shoaling behavior) and serotonergic drugs elevated height in the tank. These results support the use of the side-by-side exploratory test for behavioral studies with the zebrafish, including high-throughput behavioral screening for antidepressants and anxiolytics.
Genes / Markers
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Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
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Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping