PUBLICATION

Effects of embryonic exposure to ethanol on zebrafish visual function

Authors
Bilotta, J., Saszik, S., Givin, C.M., Hardesty, H.R., and Sutherland, S.E.
ID
ZDB-PUB-030117-4
Date
2002
Source
Neurotoxicology and teratology   24(6): 759-766 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Bilotta, Joe
Keywords
Ethanol; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; Zebrafish; Visual acuity; Electroretinogram
MeSH Terms
  • Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System/pathology
  • Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System/physiopathology*
  • Animals
  • Dark Adaptation/drug effects
  • Dark Adaptation/physiology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Electroretinography
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • Eye/drug effects*
  • Eye/embryology
  • Eye/physiopathology
  • Eye Abnormalities/chemically induced*
  • Eye Abnormalities/pathology
  • Eye Abnormalities/physiopathology
  • Female
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders/pathology
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders/physiopathology*
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects*
  • Retina/abnormalities
  • Retina/drug effects
  • Retina/physiopathology
  • Sensory Thresholds/drug effects
  • Sensory Thresholds/physiology
  • Vision, Ocular/drug effects*
  • Vision, Ocular/physiology
  • Visual Acuity/drug effects
  • Visual Acuity/physiology
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
12460658 Full text @ Neurotoxicol. Teratol.
Abstract
Across a variety of species, including humans, it has been shown that embryos exposed to ethanol display eye abnormalities as well as deficiencies in visual physiology and behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of embryonic exposure to ethanol on visual function in zebrafish. Visual function was assessed physiologically, via electroretinogram (ERG) recordings, and behaviorally, by measuring visual acuity with the optomotor response. Zebrafish larvae were exposed to 1.5% ethanol at various times during development, including the period of maximal eye development. The results show that ethanol effects on visual function were most pronounced when exposure occurred during eye development. ERG recordings from ethanol-exposed larvae differed from normal subjects both in shape of the response waveform and in visual thresholds under both light and dark adaptation; the differences were more pronounced under lower levels of adaptation. Also, ethanol-exposed larvae displayed lower visual acuity as determined from the optomotor response. These results indicate embryonic ethanol exposure affects visual function particularly when exposure occurs during eye development. In addition, these findings illustrate the usefulness of the zebrafish as a viable animal model for studying Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping