1
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Abozaid A, Gerlai R. A search for effective reinforcers in appetitive conditioning for adult zebrafish: Ecologically relevant unconditioned stimuli. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 131:110946. [PMID: 38237886 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.110946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Learning and memory related brain disorders represent a large unmet medical need. Laboratory studies with animals may model brain disorders and facilitate uncovering their mechanisms. The zebrafish has been proposed for such studies. However, numerous factors that influence performance in learning tasks have yet to be understood in zebrafish. One such factor is what motivates zebrafish. Here we introduce a novel reinforcer, an ecologically relevant unconditioned stimulus (US). We placed a photograph of gravel underneath quarter of the bottom of an experimental tank on one side and also positioned artificial plants there, the "natural" US. First, we showed that this stimulus was preferred by zebrafish. Next, we investigated whether this stimulus could serve as US for associative learning. We marked the walls of the tank on the side where the US was presented with red paper, the conditioned stimulus (CS+) we found neutral before, and we also marked the walls on the other side of the tank where no US was placed with blue paper (CS-). In addition to fish receiving this "paired" training, we also ran unpaired training with another group of zebrafish, in which the fish saw the US associated with blue and red in a random manner. After having trained the fish in this manner, we tested the performance of the paired and unpaired group of zebrafish in a memory probe trial during which no US was present, and only the CSs (blue and red walls) were shown. We found the paired group of zebrafish to show significant preference for the CS+, as they spent more time and swam closer to the red side compared to the unpaired group and compared to chance. We conclude that ecologically relevant stimuli can serve as efficient US in appetitive conditioning of zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amira Abozaid
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G5, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada.
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2
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Syed OA, Tsang B, Gerlai R. The zebrafish for preclinical psilocybin research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105381. [PMID: 37689090 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the possible utility of zebrafish in research on psilocybin, a psychedelic drug whose recreational use as well as possible clinical application are gaining increasing interest. First, we review behavioral tests with zebrafish, focussing on anxiety and social behavior, which have particular relevance in the context of psilocybin research. Next, we briefly consider methods of genetic manipulations with which psilocybin's phenotypical effects and underlying mechanisms may be investigated in zebrafish. We briefly review the known mechanisms of psilocybin, and also discuss what we know about its safety and toxicity profile. Last, we discuss examples of how psilocybin may be employed for testing treatment efficacy in preclinical research for affective disorders in zebrafish. We conclude that zebrafish has a promising future in preclinical research on psychedelic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer A Syed
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada.
| | - Benjamin Tsang
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada.
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada.
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3
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Syed OA, Tsang B, Petranker R, Gerlai R. A perspective on psychedelic teratogenicity: the utility of zebrafish models. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:664-673. [PMID: 37659901 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Psychedelic drugs have experienced an unprecedented surge in recreational use within the past few years. Among recreational users, the risks of psychedelic use by pregnant and breastfeeding women are severely understudied and there is little information on the potential teratogenic effects of these drugs. We provide an overview of the previous data on psychedelic teratogenicity from rodent studies and human surveys, discuss their limitations, and propose the utility of the zebrafish as a potential effective model for investigating psychedelic teratogenicity. Recent years have validated the use of zebrafish in the study of fetal exposure and developmental biology; we highlight these properties of the zebrafish for its suitability in psychedelic toxicity research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer A Syed
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Benjamin Tsang
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Rotem Petranker
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
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4
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Agues-Barbosa T, de Souza AM, de Lima JNG, Luchiari AC. Long-term behavioral alterations following embryonic alcohol exposure in three zebrafish populations. Neurotoxicology 2023; 96:174-183. [PMID: 37120037 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol exposure may lead to a condition known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which comprises a set of consequences, including cognitive and behavioral impairments. Although zebrafish has been applied as a reliable model for studying FASD, there is no approach to the disorder's ontogeny and population differences. Here, we evaluated the behavioral outcomes of AB, Outbred (OB), and Tübingen (TU) zebrafish populations embryonically exposed to alcohol throughout the development to the adult stage. We exposed 24hpf eggs to 0%, 0.5%, or 1.0% alcohol for 2h. Fish were let grow and locomotor and anxiety-like behaviors were tested in a novel tank at larval - 6dpf, juvenile - 45dpf, and adult- 90dpf stages. At 6dpf, both AB and OB treated with 1.0% alcohol showed hyperactivity, while 0.5% and 1.0% TU fish exhibited hypolocomotion. At 45dpf, AB and TU fish maintained the larval pattern of locomotion. At the adult stage - 90dpf, both AB and TU populations showed increased locomotor activity and anxiogenic responses, while the OB population did not show altered behavior. Our results show for the first time that zebrafish populations exhibit behavioral differences in response to embryonic alcohol exposure and that it varies along animals' ontogeny. AB fish showed the most consistent behavioral pattern through developmental stages, TU fish showed behavioral changes only in adulthood, and OB population showed high interindividual variability. These data reinforce that different populations of zebrafish are better adapted to translational studies, offering reliable results in contrast to domesticated OB populations obtained from farms, which exhibit more variable genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaís Agues-Barbosa
- Department of Physiology & Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Augusto Monteiro de Souza
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Carolina Luchiari
- Department of Physiology & Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
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5
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Przybysz KR, Spodnick MB, Johnson JM, Varlinskaya EI, Diaz MR. Moderate prenatal alcohol exposure produces sex-specific social impairments and attenuates prelimbic excitability and amygdala-cortex modulation of adult social behaviour. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13252. [PMID: 36577734 PMCID: PMC10509785 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Lifelong social impairments are common in individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), and preclinical studies have identified gestational day (G)12 as a vulnerable timepoint for producing social deficits following binge-level PAE. While moderate (m)PAE also produces social impairments, the long-term neuroadaptations underlying them are poorly understood. Activity of the projection from the basolateral amygdala to the prelimbic cortex (BLA → PL) leads to social avoidance, and the PL is implicated in negative social behaviours, making each of these potential candidates for the neuroadaptations underlying mPAE-induced social impairments. To examine this, we first established that G12 mPAE produced sex-specific social impairments lasting into adulthood in Sprague-Dawley rats. We then chemogenetically inhibited the BLA → PL using clozapine N-oxide (CNO) during adult social testing. This revealed that CNO reduced social investigation in control males but had no effect on mPAE males or females of either exposure, indicating that mPAE attenuated the role of this projection in regulating male social behaviour and highlighting one potential mechanism by which mPAE affects male social behaviour more severely. Using whole-cell electrophysiology, we also examined mPAE-induced changes to PL pyramidal cell physiology and determined that mPAE reduced cell excitability, likely due to increased suppression by inhibitory interneurons. Overall, this work identified two mPAE-induced neuroadaptations that last into adulthood and that may underlie the sex-specific vulnerability to mPAE-induced social impairments. Future research is necessary to expand upon how these circuits modulate both normal and pathological social behaviours and to identify sex-specific mechanisms, leading to differential vulnerability in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R. Przybysz
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Mary B. Spodnick
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Julia M. Johnson
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Elena I. Varlinskaya
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Marvin R. Diaz
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
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6
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Dubale NM, Kapron CM, West SL. Commentary: Zebrafish as a Model for Osteoporosis-An Approach to Accelerating Progress in Drug and Exercise-Based Treatment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15866. [PMID: 36497941 PMCID: PMC9739463 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Osteoporosis (OP) is a degenerative disease characterized by reduced bone strength and increased fracture risk. As the global population continues to age, the prevalence and economic burden of osteoporosis can be expected to rise substantially, but there remain various gaps in the field of OP care. For instance, there is a lack of anti-fracture drugs with proven long-term efficacy. Likewise, though exercise remains widely recommended in OP prevention and management, data regarding the safety and efficacy for patients after vertebral fracture remain limited. This lack of evidence may be due to the cost and inherent difficulties associated with exercise-based OP research. Thus, the current research landscape highlights the need for novel research strategies that accelerate OP drug discovery and allow for the low-cost study of exercise interventions. Here, we outline an example of one strategy, the use of zebrafish, which has emerged as a potential model for the discovery of anti-osteoporosis therapeutics and study of exercise interventions. The strengths, limitations, and potential applications of zebrafish in OP research will be outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natnaiel M. Dubale
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Carolyn M. Kapron
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Sarah L. West
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada
- Department of Kinesiology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada
- Trent/Fleming School of Nursing, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada
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7
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Borrego-Soto G, Eberhart JK. Embryonic Nicotine Exposure Disrupts Adult Social Behavior and Craniofacial Development in Zebrafish. TOXICS 2022; 10:612. [PMID: 36287892 PMCID: PMC9611253 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10100612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and morbidity worldwide. Smoking during pregnancy is associated with numerous adverse birth outcomes, including craniofacial and behavioral abnormalities. Although tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 toxic substances, nicotine is addictive and is likely the most teratogenic substance in cigarette smoke. However, much remains to be determined about the effects of embryonic nicotine exposure on behavior and craniofacial development. Therefore, this study evaluated adult social behavior in zebrafish, craniofacial defects, and nicotine metabolism in embryos after embryonic nicotine exposure. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to different doses of nicotine beginning at 6 h post fertilization. To evaluate craniofacial defects, the embryos were collected at 4 days post fertilization and stained with Alizarin Red and Alcian Blue. For behavioral testing, embryos were reared to adulthood. To evaluate nicotine metabolism, cotinine levels were analyzed at various time points. Our findings demonstrate that embryonic exposure to nicotine modifies social behavior in adulthood, causes craniofacial defects with reduced size of craniofacial cartilages, and that zebrafish metabolize nicotine to cotinine, as in humans. Together, our data suggest that zebrafish are useful as a model for studying nicotine-related diseases.
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8
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Velkey AJ, Koon CH, Danstrom IA, Wiens KM. Female zebrafish (Danio rerio) demonstrate stronger preference for established shoals over newly-formed shoals in the three-tank open-swim preference test. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265703. [PMID: 36129935 PMCID: PMC9491588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) share a considerable amount of biological similarity with mammals, including identical or homologous gene expression pathways, neurotransmitters, hormones, and cellular receptors. Zebrafish also display complex social behaviors like shoaling and schooling, making them an attractive model for investigating normal social behavior as well as exploring impaired social function conditions such as autism spectrum disorders. Newly-formed and established shoals exhibit distinct behavior patterns and inter-member interactions that can convey the group’s social stability. We used a three-chamber open-swim preference test to determine whether individual zebrafish show a preference for an established shoal over a newly-formed shoal. Results indicated that both sexes maintained greater proximity to arena zones nearest to the established shoal stimulus. In addition, we report the novel application of Shannon entropy to discover sex differences in systematicity of responses not revealed by unit-based measurements; male subjects spent more time investigating between the two shoals than female subjects. This novel technique using established versus newly-formed shoals can be used in future studies testing transgenics and pharmacological treatments that mimic autism spectrum disorder and other disorders that affect social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Velkey
- Neuroscience Program, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Caroline H. Koon
- Neuroscience Program, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, United States of America
| | - Isabel A. Danstrom
- Neuroscience Program, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, United States of America
| | - Katie M. Wiens
- Science Department, Bay Path University, Longmeadow, MA, United States of America
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9
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Kitson JE, Ord J, Watt PJ. Maternal Chronic Ethanol Exposure Decreases Stress Responses in Zebrafish Offspring. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12081143. [PMID: 36009037 PMCID: PMC9405564 DOI: 10.3390/biom12081143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, prenatal alcohol exposure can cause serious health issues in children, known collectively as Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Despite the high prevalence of FASD and a lack of effective treatments, the underlying mechanisms causing the teratogenic action of ethanol are still obscure. The limitations of human studies necessitate the use of animal models for identifying the underlying processes, but few studies have investigated the effects of alcohol in the female germline. Here, we used the zebrafish Danio rerio to investigate the effects of chronic (repeated for seven days) exposure to alcohol. Specifically, we tested whether the offspring of females chronically exposed to ethanol during oogenesis exhibited hormonal abnormalities when subjected to a stressor (alarm cue) as larvae, and if they exhibited anxiety-like behaviours as adults. Exposure to alarm cue increased whole-body cortisol in control larvae but not in those of ethanol-treated females. Furthermore, adult offspring of ethanol-treated females showed some reduced anxiety-like behaviours. These findings suggest that the offspring of ethanol-treated females had reduced stress responses. This study is the first to investigate how maternal chronic ethanol exposure prior to fertilisation influences hormonal and behavioural effects in a non-rodent model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliet E. Kitson
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - James Ord
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Penelope J. Watt
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- Correspondence:
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10
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Age-dependent effects of embryonic ethanol exposure on anxiety-like behaviours in young zebrafish: A genotype comparison study. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 214:173342. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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11
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Burton DF, Boa-Amponsem OM, Dixon MS, Hopkins MJ, Herbin TA, Toney S, Tarpley M, Rodriguez BV, Fish EW, Parnell SE, Cole GJ, Williams KP. Pharmacological activation of the Sonic hedgehog pathway with a Smoothened small molecule agonist ameliorates the severity of alcohol-induced morphological and behavioral birth defects in a zebrafish model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:1585-1601. [PMID: 35014067 PMCID: PMC9271529 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol exposure during the early stages of embryonic development can lead to a range of morphological and behavioral differences termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). In a zebrafish model, we have shown that acute ethanol exposure at 8-10 hr postfertilization (hpf), a critical time of development, produces birth defects similar to those clinically characterized in FASD. Dysregulation of the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway has been implicated as a molecular basis for many of the birth defects caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. We observed in zebrafish embryos that shh expression was significantly decreased by ethanol exposure at 8-10 hpf, while smo expression was much less affected. Treatment of zebrafish embryos with SAG or purmorphamine, small molecule Smoothened agonists that activate Shh signaling, ameliorated the severity of ethanol-induced developmental malformations including altered eye size and midline brain development. Furthermore, this rescue effect of Smo activation was dose dependent and occurred primarily when treatment was given after ethanol exposure. Markers of Shh signaling (gli1/2) and eye development (pax6a) were restored in embryos treated with SAG post-ethanol exposure. Since embryonic ethanol exposure has been shown to produce later-life neurobehavioral impairments, juvenile zebrafish were examined in the novel tank diving test. Our results further demonstrated that in zebrafish embryos exposed to ethanol, SAG treatment was able to mitigate long-term neurodevelopmental impairments related to anxiety and risk-taking behavior. Our results indicate that pharmacological activation of the Shh pathway at specific developmental timing markedly diminishes the severity of alcohol-induced birth defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek F Burton
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Oswald M Boa-Amponsem
- Integrated Biosciences PhD Program, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maria S Dixon
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael J Hopkins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Te-Andre Herbin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Shiquita Toney
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael Tarpley
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Blanca V Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric W Fish
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Scott E Parnell
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gregory J Cole
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kevin P Williams
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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12
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Fernandes Y, Lovely CB. Zebrafish models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Genesis 2021; 59:e23460. [PMID: 34739740 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) describes a wide range of structural deficits and cognitive impairments. FASD impacts up to 5% of children born in the United States each year, making ethanol one of the most common teratogens. Due to limitations and ethical concerns, studies in humans are limited in their ability to study FASD. Animal models have proven critical in identifying and characterizing the mechanisms underlying FASD. In this review, we will focus on the attributes of zebrafish that make it a strong model in which to study ethanol-induced developmental defects. Zebrafish have several attributes that make it an ideal model in which to study FASD. Zebrafish produced large numbers of externally fertilized, translucent embryos. With a high degree of genetic amenability, zebrafish are at the forefront of identifying and characterizing the gene-ethanol interactions that underlie FASD. Work from multiple labs has shown that embryonic ethanol exposures result in defects in craniofacial, cardiac, ocular, and neural development. In addition to structural defects, ethanol-induced cognitive and behavioral impairments have been studied in zebrafish. Building upon these studies, work has identified ethanol-sensitive loci that underlie the developmental defects. However, analyses show there is still much to be learned of these gene-ethanol interactions. The zebrafish is ideally suited to expand our understanding of gene-ethanol interactions and their impact on FASD. Because of the conservation of gene function between zebrafish and humans, these studies will directly translate to studies of candidate genes in human populations and allow for better diagnosis and treatment of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohaan Fernandes
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA
| | - C Ben Lovely
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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13
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Cararo JH, Rico EP. Long-lasting implications of embryonic exposure to alcohol: Insights from zebrafish research. Dev Neurobiol 2021; 82:29-40. [PMID: 34687497 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The harmful consumption of ethanol is associated with significant health problems and social burdens. This drug activates a complex network of reward mechanisms and habit formation learning that is supposed to contribute to the consumption of increasingly high and frequent amounts, ultimately leading to addiction. In the context of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a consequence of the harmful use of alcohol during pregnancy, which affects the embryonic development of the fetus. FAS can be easily reproduced in zebrafish by exposing the embryos to different concentrations of ethanol in water. In this regard, the aim of the present review is to discuss the late pathological implications in zebrafish exposed to ethanol at the embryonic stage, providing information in the context of human fetal alcoholic spectrum disorders. Experimental FAS in zebrafish is associated with impairments in the metabolic, morphological, neurochemical, behavioral, and cognitive domains. Many of the pathways that are affected by ethanol in zebrafish have at least one ortholog in humans, collaborating with the wider adoption of zebrafish in studies on alcohol disorders. In fact, zebrafish present validities required for the study of these conditions, which contributes to the use of this species in research, in addition to studies with rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Henrique Cararo
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Pacheco Rico
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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14
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Chatterjee D, Mahabir S, Chatterjee D, Gerlai R. Lasting effects of mild embryonic ethanol exposure on voltage-gated ion channels in adult zebrafish brain. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 110:110327. [PMID: 33864849 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The zebrafish is increasingly well utilized in alcohol research, particularly in modeling human fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). FASD results from alcohol reaching the developing fetus intra utero, a completely preventable yet prevalent and devastating life-long disorder. The hope with animal models, including the zebrafish, is to discover the mechanisms underlying this disease, which may aid treatment and diagnosis. In the past, we developed an embryonic alcohol exposure regimen that is aimed at mimicking the milder, and most prevalent, forms of FASD in zebrafish. We have found numerous lasting alterations in behavior, neurochemistry, neuronal markers and glial cell phenotypes in this zebrafish FASD model. Using the same model (2 h long bath immersion of 24 h post-fertilization old zebrafish eggs into 1% vol/vol ethanol), here we conduct a proof of concept analysis of voltage-gated cation channels, investigating potential embryonic alcohol induced changes in L-, T- and N- type Ca++ and the SCN1A Na+ channels using Western blot followed by immunohistochemical analysis of the same channels in the pallium and cerebellum of the zebrafish brain. We report significant reduction of expression in all four channel proteins using both methods. We conclude that reduced voltage-gated cation channel expression induced by short and low dose exposure to alcohol during embryonic development of zebrafish may contribute to the previously demonstrated lasting behavioral and neurobiological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samantha Mahabir
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
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15
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Schaidhauer FG, Caetano HA, da Silva GP, da Silva RS. Contributions of Zebrafish Studies on the Behavioural Consequences of Early Alcohol Exposure: A Systematic Review. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 20:579-593. [PMID: 33913405 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210428114317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The consequences of mild to severe exposure to alcohol during brain development is still a matter of debate and scientific investigation. The long-term behavioural effects of ethanol exposure have been related to impaired social skills and cognition. Zebrafish have become a suitable animal model to investigate the effects of early ethanol exposure because it is very feasible to promote drug delivery during early development. OBJECTIVE The goal of the current report is to review existing behavioural studies addressing the impact of early alcohol exposure using zebrafish to determine whether these models resemble the behavioural effects of early alcohol exposure in humans. METHODS A comprehensive search of biomedical databases was performed using the operation order: "ZEBRAFISH AND BEHAV* AND (ETHANOL OR ALCOHOL)". The eligibility of studies was determined using the PICOS strategy, contemplating the population as zebrafish, intervention as exposure to ethanol, comparison with a non-exposed control animal, and outcomes as behavioural parameters. RESULTS The systematic search returned 29 scientific articles as eligible. The zebrafish is presented as a versatile animal model that is useful to study FASD short and long-term behaviour impairments, such as anxiety, impaired sociability, aggressiveness, learning problems, memory impairment, seizure susceptibility, sleep disorders, motivational problems, and addiction. CONCLUSION This systematic review serves to further promote the use of zebrafish as a model system to study the pathophysiological and behavioural consequences of early alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia Gheller Schaidhauer
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Higor Arruda Caetano
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Pietro da Silva
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Rosane Souza da Silva
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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16
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Lutte AH, Majolo JH, Da Silva RS. Inhibition of ecto-5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase is able to reverse long-term behavioural effects of early ethanol exposure in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Sci Rep 2020; 10:17809. [PMID: 33082435 PMCID: PMC7576130 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74832-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The behavioural impacts of prenatal exposure to ethanol include a lower IQ, learning problems, anxiety and conduct disorders. Several components of the neurochemical network could contribute to the long-lasting effects of ethanol embryonic exposure. Adenosine is an important neuromodulator, that has been indicated to be affected by acute and chronic exposure to ethanol. Here, embryos of zebrafish exposed to 1% ethanol during the developmental stages of gastrula/segmentation or pharyngula exhibited anxiolytic effect, increased aggressiveness, and decreased social interaction. The exposure during pharyngula stage was able to affect all behavioural parameters analysed at 3 months-post fertilization (mpf), while the treatment during gastrula stage affected the anxiety and social interaction parameters. The aggressiveness was the only behavioural effect of early ethanol exposure that lasted to 12 mpf. The use of a specific inhibitor of adenosine production, the inhibitor of ecto-5′-nucleotidase (AMPCP/150 mg/kg), and the specific inhibitor of adenosine degradation, the inhibitor of adenosine deaminase, EHNA (100 mg/kg) did not affect the effects over anxiety. However, AMPCP at 3 mpf, but not EHNA, reversed aggressive parameters. AMPCP also recovered the social interaction parameter at 3 mpf in animals treated in both stages, while EHNA recovered this parameter just in those animals treated with ethanol during the gastrula stage. These results suggest that long-lasting behavioural effects of ethanol can be modulated by intervention on ecto-5′-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Haab Lutte
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica E Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde E da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, 6681, Porto Alegre, RS, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Julia Huppes Majolo
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica E Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde E da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, 6681, Porto Alegre, RS, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Rosane Souza Da Silva
- Laboratório de Neuroquímica E Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde E da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, 6681, Porto Alegre, RS, 90619-900, Brazil.
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17
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Facciol A, Gerlai R. Zebrafish Shoaling, Its Behavioral and Neurobiological Mechanisms, and Its Alteration by Embryonic Alcohol Exposure: A Review. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:572175. [PMID: 33100980 PMCID: PMC7546311 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.572175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Social cognition and social behaviors are complex phenomena that involve numerous brain areas and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Embryonic alcohol exposure may lead to the development of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a disorder that manifests with varying symptoms including abnormal social behavior and other cognitive deficits. Animal models have been utilized to mimic aspects of the disease and to study potential underlying mechanisms. The zebrafish is a relative newcomer in this field but has been suggested as an optimal compromise between system complexity and practical simplicity for modeling FASD. Importantly, due to external fertilization and development of the embryo outside the mother and subsequent lack of parental care, this species allows precise control of the timing and dose of alcohol delivery during embryonic development. Furthermore, the zebrafish is a highly social species and thus may be particularly appropriate for the analysis of embryonic alcohol-induced alterations in this context. Here, we provide a succinct review focusing on shoaling, a prominent form of social behavior, in zebrafish. We summarize what is known about its behavioral mechanisms and underlying neurobiological processes, and how it is altered by exposure to ethanol during embryonic development. Lastly, we briefly consider possible future directions of research that would help us better understand the relationship between the behavioral expression and molecular basis of embryonic ethanol-induced social deficits in fish and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Facciol
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
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18
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de Abreu MS, C V V Giacomini A, Genario R, Fontana BD, Parker MO, Marcon L, Scolari N, Bueno B, Demin KA, Galstyan D, Kolesnikova TO, Amstislavskaya TG, Zabegalov KN, Strekalova T, Kalueff AV. Zebrafish models of impulsivity and impulse control disorders. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:4233-4248. [PMID: 32619029 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are characterized by generalized difficulty controlling emotions and behaviors. ICDs are a broad group of the central nervous system (CNS) disorders including conduct disorder, intermittent explosive, oppositional-defiant disorder, antisocial personality disorder, kleptomania, pyromania and other illnesses. Although they all share a common feature (aberrant impulsivity), their pathobiology is complex and poorly understood. There are also currently no ICD-specific therapies to treat these illnesses. Animal models are a valuable tool for studying ICD pathobiology and potential therapies. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a useful model organism to study CNS disorders due to high genetic and physiological homology to mammals, and sensitivity to various pharmacological and genetic manipulations. Here, we summarize experimental models of impulsivity and ICD in zebrafish and highlight their growing translational significance. We also emphasize the need for further development of zebrafish ICD models to improve our understanding of their pathogenesis and to search for novel therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo S de Abreu
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil.,The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Ana C V V Giacomini
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Genario
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil
| | - Barbara D Fontana
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK
| | - Matthew O Parker
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK
| | - Leticia Marcon
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil
| | - Naiara Scolari
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil
| | - Barbara Bueno
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Center, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - David Galstyan
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tatyana O Kolesnikova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Center, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | | | - Tatyana Strekalova
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.,School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, University of Würzburg, Moscow, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Laboratory of Petrochemistry, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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19
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Preclinical methodological approaches investigating of the effects of alcohol on perinatal and adolescent neurodevelopment. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:436-451. [PMID: 32681938 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite much evidence of its economic and social costs, alcohol use continues to increase. Much remains to be known as to the effects of alcohol on neurodevelopment across the lifespan and in both sexes. We provide a comprehensive overview of the methodological approaches to ethanol administration when using animal models (primarily rodent models) and their translational relevance, as well as some of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Special consideration is given to early developmental periods (prenatal through adolescence), as well as to the types of research questions that are best addressed by specific methodologies. The zebrafish is used increasingly in alcohol research, and how to use this model effectively as a preclinical model is reviewed as well.
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20
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24-Epibrassinolide protects against ethanol-induced behavioural teratogenesis in zebrafish embryo. Chem Biol Interact 2020; 328:109193. [PMID: 32668205 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic studies have demonstrated the neurotoxic, teratogenic, and neurobehavioral toxicity of ethanol (EtOH). Although multiple mechanisms may contribute to these effects, oxidative stress has been described as the major damage pathway. In this regard, natural antioxidants have the potential to counteract oxidative stress-induced cellular damage. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the potential protective role of 24-epibrassinolide (24-EPI), a natural brassinosteroid with proved antioxidant properties, in EtOH-induced teratogenic effects during early zebrafish development. Embryos (~2 h post-fertilization - hpf) were exposed to 1 % EtOH, co-exposed to 24-EPI (0.01, 0.1 and 1 μM) and to 24-EPI alone (1 μM) for 24 h. Following exposure, biochemical evaluations were made at 26 hpf, developmental analysis was made throughout the embryo-larval period, and behavioural responses were evaluated at 120 hpf. Exposure to 1 % EtOH caused an increase in the number of malformations, which were diminished by 24-EPI. In addition, EtOH induced an accumulation of GSSG and consequent reduction of GSH:GSSG ratio, indicating the involvement of oxidative mechanisms in the EtOH-induced effects. These were reverted by 24-EPI as proved by the GSSG levels and GSH:GSSG ratio that returned to control values. Furthermore, exposure to EtOH resulted in behavioural deficits at 120 hpf as observed by the disrupted response to an aversive stimulus, suggesting the involvement of neurotoxic mechanisms. 24-EPI restored the behavioural deficits observed in a dose-dependent manner. The absence of effects in the embryos exposed solely to 24-EPI showed its safety during the exposure period. In conclusion, EtOH caused developmental teratogenicity and behavioural toxicity by inducing glutathione changes, which were prevented by 24-EPI.
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21
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Paul I, Tsang B, Gerlai R. Short Exposure to Moderate Concentration of Alcohol During Embryonic Development Does Not Alter Gross Morphology in Zebrafish. Zebrafish 2020; 17:253-260. [PMID: 32493176 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2020.1872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have demonstrated translational potential of the zebrafish in modeling fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), including the less severe forms of this disease. Short exposure to even low doses of alcohol during embryonic development has been shown to disrupt behavior, alter neurochemistry, and expression of neuronal markers and glial cell phenotypes in zebrafish. However, no study to date has systematically analyzed the potential morphological effects of the short- and low-dose embryonic alcohol exposure regimen used before with zebrafish to model milder forms of human FASD. In this study, we use this previously used embryonic alcohol exposure regimen. We immerse intact zebrafish eggs of AB strain and of a genetically variable wild-type population for 2 h into 1% or 0% (vol/vol) ethanol bath at one of five developmental stages (8, 16, 24, 32, or 40 h postfertilization). At 8 days postfertilization, we quantify body length and width and eye diameter of the larvae. We report nonsignificant effects of embryonic alcohol exposure used at all developmental stages in both populations of zebrafish. Our results confirm that visual perception or motor function is unlikely to have contributed to previously reported behavioral abnormalities resulting from embryonic alcohol exposure in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishti Paul
- Department of Psychology and University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada.,Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Benjamin Tsang
- Department of Psychology and University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada.,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Research Operations, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research & Learning, Toronto, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology and University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada.,Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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22
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Facciol A, Bailleul C, Nguyen S, Chatterjee D, Gerlai R. Developmental stage-dependent deficits induced by embryonic ethanol exposure in zebrafish: A neurochemical analysis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 99:109859. [PMID: 31917146 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
FASD results from the developing fetus being exposed to alcohol, and is characterized by morphological, behavioural and cognitive deficits. However, the expression, severity and age of onset of these symptoms has been found to show variation. This variation may partly be due to the developmental stage at which alcohol reached the developing fetus. Previously, alcohol was shown to lead to significant concentration dependent behavioural as well as neurochemical changes detected in adult zebrafish when this substance was administered at 24 h post-fertilization (hpf) for 2 h. This alcohol exposure method arguably mimicked the milder, and more prevalent, forms of human FASD. However, whether the observed changes depended upon the developmental stage, i.e., the timing, of alcohol exposure has not been systematically analyzed. Here, we employ the same alcohol dosing regimen, where zebrafish eggs are immersed into 0% or 1% (vol/vol) alcohol for 2 h, but we perform the immersion at 5, 10, 16, 24, 36, or 48 hpf. We previously developed a sensitive HPLC method to quantify neurochemicals, and found levels of dopamine, serotonin and their metabolites DOPAC and 5-HIAA to be affected by embryonic alcohol treatment. Here, using the same method, we compare whole-brain levels of these neurochemicals in the embryonic alcohol exposed and control zebrafish at their age of 30 days post-fertilization (dpf). Consistent with previous reports, we found significant reduction of levels of dopamine, serotonin and their metabolites in the fish exposed to alcohol at 24 hpf. However, we also found significant dependency on the developmental stage at which alcohol was administered with particularly robust impairments when the exposure was at the early or middle of the developmental periods probed. Our results now demonstrate that one can detect functional abnormalities in the zebrafish brain induced by embryonic alcohol as early as 30 dpf and that the neurochemical deficits are dependent upon the developmental stage at which alcohol is administered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Facciol
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Celine Bailleul
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada
| | - Samuel Nguyen
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada
| | | | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada.
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23
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Bertotto LB, Catron TR, Tal T. Exploring interactions between xenobiotics, microbiota, and neurotoxicity in zebrafish. Neurotoxicology 2019; 76:235-244. [PMID: 31783042 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Susceptibility to xenobiotic exposures is variable. One factor that might account for this is the microbiome, which encompasses all microorganisms, their encoded genes, and associated functions that colonize a host organism. Microbiota harbor the capacity to affect the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of xenobiotic exposures. The neurotoxicological effects of environmental chemicals may be modified by intestinal microbes via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. This is a complex, bi-directional signaling pathway between intestinal microbes and the host nervous system. As a model organism, zebrafish are extremely well-placed to illuminate mechanisms by which microbiota modify the developmental neurotoxicity of environmental chemicals. The goal of this review article is to examine the microbiota-gut-brain axis in a toxicological context, specifically focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the zebrafish model for the investigation of interactions between xenobiotic agents and host-associated microbes. Previous studies describing the relationship between intestinal microbes and host neurodevelopment will be discussed. From a neurotoxicological perspective, studies utilizing zebrafish to assess links between neurotoxicological outcomes and the microbiome are emphasized. Overall, there are major gaps in our understanding the mechanisms by which microbiota interact with xenobiotics to cause or modify host neurotoxicity. In this review, we demonstrate that zebrafish are an ideal model system for studying the complex relationship between chemical exposures, microorganisms, and host neurotoxicological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luísa B Bertotto
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US EPA, ORD, NHEERL, ISTD, United States
| | - Tara R Catron
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US EPA, ORD, NHEERL, ISTD, United States
| | - Tamara Tal
- US EPA ORD, NHEERL, ISTD, United States.
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24
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Waltes R, Freitag CM, Herlt T, Lempp T, Seitz C, Palmason H, Meyer J, Chiocchetti AG. Impact of autism-associated genetic variants in interaction with environmental factors on ADHD comorbidities: an exploratory pilot study. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2019; 126:1679-1693. [PMID: 31707462 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-019-02101-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is determined by genetic and environmental factors, and shares genetic risk with ASD. Functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the metabotropic glutamatergic signaling pathway are reported to increase the risk for ASD. The aim of this pilot study was to explore the main effects of respective ASD variants as well as their interaction effects with well-replicated ADHD environmental risk factors on the risk for ADHD, ADHD symptom severities, and comorbidities. We included 318 children with ADHD, aged 5-13 years, and their parents (N = 164 trios, N = 113 duos, N = 41 singletons). Interaction of ASD risk variants CYFIP1-rs7170637, CYFIP1-rs3693, CAMK4-rs25925, and GRM1-rs6923492 with prenatal biological and lifetime psychosocial risk factors was explored in a subsample with complete environmental risk factors (N = 139 trios, N = 83 duos, two singletons) by transmission disequilibrium test and stepwise regression analyses. We identified nominally significant (alpha < 0.05) GxE interactions of acute life events with CYFIP1-rs3693 on ADHD diagnosis (p = 0.004; fdr = 0.096) but no significant association of any single marker. Further results suggest that the risk for comorbid disruptive disorders was significantly modulated by GxE interactions between familial risk factors and CAMK4-rs25925 (p = 0.001; fdr = 0.018) and prenatal alcohol exposure with CYFIP1-rs3693 (p = 0.003; fdr = 0.027); both findings survived correction for multiple testing (fdr value < 0.05). Nominal significant GxE interactions moderating the risk for anxiety disorders have also been identified, but did not pass multiple testing corrections. This pilot study suggests that common ASD variants of the glutamatergic system interact with prenatal and lifetime psychosocial risk factors influencing the risk for ADHD common comorbidities and thus warrants replication in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Waltes
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, JW Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, JW Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Timo Herlt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, JW Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Lempp
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, JW Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christiane Seitz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Saarland University Hospital, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Haukur Palmason
- Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, 54290, Trier, Germany
| | - Jobst Meyer
- Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, 54290, Trier, Germany
| | - Andreas G Chiocchetti
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, JW Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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25
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Fernandes Y, Rampersad M, Jones EM, Eberhart JK. Social deficits following embryonic ethanol exposure arise in post-larval zebrafish. Addict Biol 2019; 24:898-907. [PMID: 30178621 PMCID: PMC6629526 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading cause of birth defects, collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). In the United States and Canada, 1 in 100 children will be born with FASD. Some of the most commonly debilitating defects of FASD are in social behavior. Zebrafish are highly social animals, and embryonic ethanol exposure from 24 to 26 hours post-fertilization disrupts this social (shoaling) response in adult zebrafish. Recent findings have suggested that social behaviors are present in zebrafish larvae as young as 3 weeks, but how they relate to adult shoaling is unclear. We tested the same ethanol-exposed zebrafish for social impairments at 3 weeks then again at 16 weeks. At both ages, live conspecifics were used to elicit a social response. We did not find alcohol-induced differences in behavior in 3-week-old fish when they were able to see conspecifics. We do find evidence that control zebrafish are able to use nonvisual stimuli to detect conspecifics, and this behavior is disrupted in the alcohol-exposed fish. As adults, these fish displayed a significant decrease in social behavior when conspecifics are visible. This surprising finding demonstrates that the adult and larval social behaviors are, at least partly, separable. Future work will investigate the nature of these nonvisual cues and how the neurocircuitry differs between the larval and adult social behaviors.
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26
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Reproducibility and replicability in zebrafish behavioral neuroscience research. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 178:30-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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27
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Boa-Amponsem O, Zhang C, Mukhopadhyay S, Ardrey I, Cole GJ. Ethanol and cannabinoids interact to alter behavior in a zebrafish fetal alcohol spectrum disorder model. Birth Defects Res 2019; 111:775-788. [PMID: 30648819 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent work suggests that endocannabinoids (eCBs) may signal through the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway. We therefore hypothesized that combined ethanol and eCB exposure during defined stages of zebrafish embryogenesis will produce deficits comparable to human fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). METHODS Zebrafish embryos were exposed to ethanol or cannabinoid agonists alone or in combination at defined developmental stages and assessed for changes in brain morphology or expression of marker genes such as pax6a. Juvenile fish were then assessed for risk-taking/anxiety-like behavior using the novel tank dive test. RESULTS Either chronic or acute exposure to high doses of the CB1R agonist ACEA resulted in FASD phenotypes. However, acute subthreshold doses of CB1R agonist alone, or combined with 0.5% ethanol, did not induce morphological phenotypes, but did induce dysmorphogenesis when combined with acute 1% ethanol. Phenotypes were rescued using the CB1R antagonist SR141716A. In addition, JZL195, a dual inhibitor of FAAH and MAGL, two degradative enzymes for eCBs, induced FASD phenotypes in the presence of subthreshold ethanol, confirming the activation of common signaling pathways by ethanol and eCBs. We next analyzed the effects of ethanol and CB1R agonist on juvenile zebrafish behavior and show that ACEA or ethanol alone did not alter behavior, but combined ACEA and ethanol increased risk-taking behavior. CONCLUSIONS These studies demonstrate that pathological and behavioral phenotypes associated with FASD are induced by exposure to CB1R agonists and suggest that combined exposure to lower levels of alcohol and marijuana may be capable of inducing FASD-like morphological and behavioral impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald Boa-Amponsem
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina.,Integrated Biosciences Program, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Chengjin Zhang
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Somnath Mukhopadhyay
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Iman Ardrey
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Gregory J Cole
- Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina
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Alcohol exposure during embryonic development: An opportunity to conduct systematic developmental time course analyses in zebrafish. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 98:185-193. [PMID: 30641117 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol affects numerous neurobiological processes depending upon the developmental stage at which it reaches the vertebrate embryo. Exposure time dependency may explain the variable severity and manifestation of life-long symptoms observed in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) patients. Characterization of behavioural deficits will help us understand developmental stage-dependency and its underlying biological mechanisms. Here we highlight pioneering studies that model FASD using zebrafish, including those that demonstrated developmental stage-dependency of alcohol effects on some behaviours. We also succinctly review the more expansive mammalian literature, briefly discuss potential developmental stage dependent biological mechanisms alcohol alters, and review some of the disadvantages of mammalian systems versus the zebrafish. We stress that the temporal control of alcohol administration in the externally developing zebrafish gives unprecedented precision and is a major advantage of this species over other model organisms employed so far. We also emphasize that the zebrafish is well suited for high throughput screening and will allow systematic exploration of embryonic-stage dependent alcohol effects via mutagenesis and drug screens.
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Zebrafish models of epigenetic regulation of CNS functions. Brain Res Bull 2018; 142:344-351. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Fernandes Y, Rampersad M, Eberhart JK. Social behavioral phenotyping of the zebrafish casper mutant following embryonic alcohol exposure. Behav Brain Res 2018; 356:46-50. [PMID: 30107225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) describes all the deleterious consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure. Impaired social behavior is a common symptom of FASD. The zebrafish has emerged as a powerful model organism with which to examine the effects of embryonic alcohol exposure on social behavior due to an innate strong behavior, called shoaling. The relative transparency of the embryo also makes zebrafish powerful for cellular analyses, such as characterizing neural circuitry. However, as zebrafish develop, pigmentation begins to obscure the brain and other tissues. Due to mutations disrupting pigmentation, the casper zebrafish strain remains relatively transparent throughout adulthood, potentially permitting researchers to image neural circuits in vivo, via epifluorescence, confocal and light sheet microscopy. Currently, however the behavioral profile of casper zebrafish post embryonic alcohol exposure has not been completed. We report that exposure to 1% alcohol from either 6 to 24, or 24 to 26 h postfertilization reduces the social behavior of adult casper zebrafish. Our findings set the stage for the use of this important zebrafish resource in studies of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohaan Fernandes
- University of Texas at Austin, 2401 Speedway, Patterson Hall Room 522, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
| | - Mindy Rampersad
- University of Texas at Austin, 2401 Speedway, Patterson Hall Room 522, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
| | - Johann K Eberhart
- University of Texas at Austin, 2401 Speedway, Patterson Hall Room 522, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
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31
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Shams S, Rihel J, Ortiz JG, Gerlai R. The zebrafish as a promising tool for modeling human brain disorders: A review based upon an IBNS Symposium. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 85:176-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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32
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Fontana BD, Mezzomo NJ, Kalueff AV, Rosemberg DB. The developing utility of zebrafish models of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders: A critical review. Exp Neurol 2018; 299:157-171. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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33
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Embryonic alcohol exposure leading to social avoidance and altered anxiety responses in adult zebrafish. Behav Brain Res 2017; 352:62-69. [PMID: 28882694 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is a syndrome characterized by neurological and behavioral impairments. A recently discovered hallmark of FASD is impaired social behavior. Avoidance of social interaction typical of FASD may be the result of increased anxiety. Previously, the zebrafish was successfully used to model embryonic alcohol induced social abnormalities. Here, we analyzed both anxiety and social responses using a zebrafish FASD model, in adult fish. We exposed zebrafish embryos to low concentrations of ethanol (0.1%; 0.25%; 0.5% and 1% v/v) for 2h at, 24h post-fertilization, to mimic the most prevalent milder FASD cases, and investigated the ensuing alterations in adult, 4-month-old, zebrafish. We studied social interaction in the social preference task and anxiety in the novel tank task. We observed an ethanol dose dependent reduction of time spend in the conspecific zone compared to control, corroborating prior findings. We also found significant changes in the novel tank (e.g. increased bottom dwell time, increased distance to top) suggesting elevated anxiety to control, but we also found, using an anxiolytic drug buspirone, that reduction of anxiety is associated with reduced shoaling. Our results confirm that embryonic alcohol exposure disrupts social behavior, and also show that its effects on anxiety related phenotypes may be genotype, alcohol administration method, experimental procedure and test-context dependent.
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Fernandes Y, Buckley DM, Eberhart JK. Diving into the world of alcohol teratogenesis: a review of zebrafish models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Biochem Cell Biol 2017; 96:88-97. [PMID: 28817785 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2017-0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) refers to the entire suite of deleterious outcomes resulting from embryonic exposure to alcohol. Along with other reviews in this special issue, we provide insight into how animal models, specifically the zebrafish, have informed our understanding of FASD. We first provide a brief introduction to FASD. We discuss the zebrafish as a model organism and its strengths for alcohol research. We detail how zebrafish has been used to model some of the major defects present in FASD. These include behavioral defects, such as social behavior as well as learning and memory, and structural defects, disrupting organs such as the brain, sensory organs, heart, and craniofacial skeleton. We provide insights into how zebrafish research has aided in our understanding of the mechanisms of ethanol teratogenesis. We end by providing some relatively recent advances that zebrafish has provided in characterizing gene-ethanol interactions that may underlie FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohaan Fernandes
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713, USA.,Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713, USA
| | - Desire M Buckley
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713, USA.,Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713, USA
| | - Johann K Eberhart
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713, USA.,Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713, USA
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35
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Bradford YM, Toro S, Ramachandran S, Ruzicka L, Howe DG, Eagle A, Kalita P, Martin R, Taylor Moxon SA, Schaper K, Westerfield M. Zebrafish Models of Human Disease: Gaining Insight into Human Disease at ZFIN. ILAR J 2017; 58:4-16. [PMID: 28838067 PMCID: PMC5886338 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilw040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Zebrafish Model Organism Database (ZFIN; https://zfin.org) is the central resource for genetic, genomic, and phenotypic data for zebrafish (Danio rerio) research. ZFIN continuously assesses trends in zebrafish research, adding new data types and providing data repositories and tools that members of the research community can use to navigate data. The many research advantages and flexibility of manipulation of zebrafish have made them an increasingly attractive animal to model and study human disease.To facilitate disease-related research, ZFIN developed support to provide human disease information as well as annotation of zebrafish models of human disease. Human disease term pages at ZFIN provide information about disease names, synonyms, and references to other databases as well as a list of publications reporting studies of human diseases in which zebrafish were used. Zebrafish orthologs of human genes that are implicated in human disease etiology are routinely studied to provide an understanding of the molecular basis of disease. Therefore, a list of human genes involved in the disease with their corresponding zebrafish ortholog is displayed on the disease page, with links to additional information regarding the genes and existing mutations. Studying human disease often requires the use of models that recapitulate some or all of the pathologies observed in human diseases. Access to information regarding existing and published models can be critical, because they provide a tractable way to gain insight into the phenotypic outcomes of the disease. ZFIN annotates zebrafish models of human disease and supports retrieval of these published models by listing zebrafish models on the disease term page as well as by providing search interfaces and data download files to access the data. The improvements ZFIN has made to annotate, display, and search data related to human disease, especially zebrafish models for disease and disease-associated gene information, should be helpful to researchers and clinicians considering the use of zebrafish to study human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne M. Bradford
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Sabrina Toro
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Sridhar Ramachandran
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Leyla Ruzicka
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Douglas G. Howe
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Anne Eagle
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Patrick Kalita
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Ryan Martin
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Sierra A. Taylor Moxon
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Kevin Schaper
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
| | - Monte Westerfield
- Yvonne M. Bradford, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sabrina Toro, PhD, is a scientific curator for the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sridhar Ramachandran, MS, is a scientific curator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Leyla Ruzicka, PhD, is a scientific curator and senior research associate at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Douglas G. Howe, PhD, is the Data Curation Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Anne Eagle, MSCS, is the Software Development and Project Manager at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Patrick Kalita, MS, is a software developer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Martin, MS, is a systems administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Sierra A. Taylor Moxon, BA, is the Database Administrator at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin Schaper, BS, is a software engineer at the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Monte Westerfield, PhD, is a Professor of Biology in the Institute of Neuroscience and directs the Zebrafish Model Organism Database at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
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Hudac CM, Stessman HAF, DesChamps TD, Kresse A, Faja S, Neuhaus E, Webb SJ, Eichler EE, Bernier RA. Exploring the heterogeneity of neural social indices for genetically distinct etiologies of autism. J Neurodev Disord 2017; 9:24. [PMID: 28559932 PMCID: PMC5446693 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-017-9199-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous disorder. Promising initiatives utilizing interdisciplinary characterization of ASD suggest phenotypic subtypes related to specific likely gene-disrupting mutations (LGDMs). However, the role of functionally associated LGDMs in the neural social phenotype is unknown. Methods In this study of 26 children with ASD (n = 13 with an LGDM) and 13 control children, we characterized patterns of mu attenuation and habituation as children watched videos containing social and nonsocial motions during electroencephalography acquisition. Results Diagnostic comparisons were consistent with prior work suggesting aberrant mu attenuation in ASD within the upper mu band (10–12 Hz), but typical patterns within the lower mu band (8–10 Hz). Preliminary exploration indicated distinct social sensitization patterns (i.e., increasing mu attenuation for social motion) for children with an LGDM that is primarily expressed during embryonic development. In contrast, children with an LGDM primarily expressed post-embryonic development exhibited stable typical patterns of lower mu attenuation. Neural social indices were associated with social responsiveness, but not cognition. Conclusions These findings suggest unique neurophysiological profiles for certain genetic etiologies of ASD, further clarifying possible genetic functional subtypes of ASD and providing insight into mechanisms for targeted treatment approaches. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11689-017-9199-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Hudac
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Holly A F Stessman
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Trent D DesChamps
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Anna Kresse
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98145 USA
| | - Susan Faja
- Boston Children's Hospital and Division of Developmental Medicine, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Emily Neuhaus
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98145 USA
| | - Sara Jane Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195 USA.,Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98145 USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195 USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195 USA.,Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98145 USA
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Ruiter S, Sippel J, Bouwmeester MC, Lommelaars T, Beekhof P, Hodemaekers HM, Bakker F, van den Brandhof EJ, Pennings JLA, van der Ven LTM. Programmed Effects in Neurobehavior and Antioxidative Physiology in Zebrafish Embryonically Exposed to Cadmium: Observations and Hypothesized Adverse Outcome Pathway Framework. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17111830. [PMID: 27827847 PMCID: PMC5133831 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17111830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major cause of premature mortality. Recent studies show that predispositions for NCDs may arise from early-life exposure to low concentrations of environmental contaminants. This developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) paradigm suggests that programming of an embryo can be disrupted, changing the homeostatic set point of biological functions. Epigenetic alterations are a possible underlying mechanism. Here, we investigated the DOHaD paradigm by exposing zebrafish to subtoxic concentrations of the ubiquitous contaminant cadmium during embryogenesis, followed by growth under normal conditions. Prolonged behavioral responses to physical stress and altered antioxidative physiology were observed approximately ten weeks after termination of embryonal exposure, at concentrations that were 50–3200-fold below the direct embryotoxic concentration, and interpreted as altered developmental programming. Literature was explored for possible mechanistic pathways that link embryonic subtoxic cadmium to the observed apical phenotypes, more specifically, the probability of molecular mechanisms induced by cadmium exposure leading to altered DNA methylation and subsequently to the observed apical phenotypes. This was done using the adverse outcome pathway model framework, and assessing key event relationship plausibility by tailored Bradford-Hill analysis. Thus, cadmium interaction with thiols appeared to be the major contributor to late-life effects. Cadmium-thiol interactions may lead to depletion of the methyl donor S-adenosyl-methionine, resulting in methylome alterations, and may, additionally, result in oxidative stress, which may lead to DNA oxidation, and subsequently altered DNA methyltransferase activity. In this way, DNA methylation may be affected at a critical developmental stage, causing the observed apical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Ruiter
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands; (P.B.); (H.M.H.); (F.B.); (J.L.A.P.)
| | - Josefine Sippel
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands; (P.B.); (H.M.H.); (F.B.); (J.L.A.P.)
| | - Manon C. Bouwmeester
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands; (P.B.); (H.M.H.); (F.B.); (J.L.A.P.)
| | - Tobias Lommelaars
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands; (P.B.); (H.M.H.); (F.B.); (J.L.A.P.)
| | - Piet Beekhof
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands; (P.B.); (H.M.H.); (F.B.); (J.L.A.P.)
| | - Hennie M. Hodemaekers
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands; (P.B.); (H.M.H.); (F.B.); (J.L.A.P.)
| | - Frank Bakker
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands; (P.B.); (H.M.H.); (F.B.); (J.L.A.P.)
| | - Evert-Jan van den Brandhof
- Centre for Environmental Quality, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands;
| | - Jeroen L. A. Pennings
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands; (P.B.); (H.M.H.); (F.B.); (J.L.A.P.)
| | - Leo T. M. van der Ven
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720BA-1, The Netherlands; (P.B.); (H.M.H.); (F.B.); (J.L.A.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-30-2742681
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Seguin D, Shams S, Gerlai R. Behavioral Responses to Novelty or to a Predator Stimulus Are Not Altered in Adult Zebrafish by Early Embryonic Alcohol Exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:2667-2675. [PMID: 27790739 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) may vary in symptoms and severity. In the milder and more prevalent forms of the disease, behavioral abnormalities may include impaired social behavior, for example, difficulty interpreting social cues. Patients with FASD remain often undiagnosed due to lack of biomarkers, and treatment is unavailable because the mechanisms of the disease are not yet understood. Animal models have been proposed to facilitate addressing these problems. More recently, short exposure of the zebrafish embryo to low concentrations of alcohol was shown to lead to significant and lasting impairment of behavior in response to social stimuli. The impairment may be the result of abnormal social behavior or altered fear/anxiety. The goal of the current study was to investigate the latter. METHODS Here, we employed the alcohol exposure regimen used previously (exposure of 24th hour postfertilization embryos to 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, or 1.00% vol/vol alcohol for 2 hours), allowed the fish to reach adulthood, and measured the behavioral responses of these adults to a novel tank (anxiety-related behaviors) as well as to an animated image of a sympatric predator of zebrafish (fear-related behaviors). RESULTS We found behavioral responses of embryonic alcohol-exposed adult fish to remain statistically indistinguishable from those of controls, suggesting unaltered anxiety and fear in the embryonic alcohol-treated fish. CONCLUSIONS Given that motor and perceptual function was previously shown to be also unaltered in the adults after embryonic alcohol exposure, our current results suggest that the impaired response of these fish to social stimuli may be the result of abnormal social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Seguin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Soaleha Shams
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
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Fernandes YM, Rampersad M, Luchiari AC, Gerlai R. Associative learning in the multichamber tank: A new learning paradigm for zebrafish. Behav Brain Res 2016; 312:279-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Revised: 04/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Lovely CB, Fernandes Y, Eberhart JK. Fishing for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Zebrafish as a Model for Ethanol Teratogenesis. Zebrafish 2016; 13:391-8. [PMID: 27186793 PMCID: PMC5035362 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2016.1270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describes a wide array of ethanol-induced developmental defects, including craniofacial dysmorphology and cognitive impairments. It affects ∼1 in 100 children born in the United States each year. Due to the pleiotropic effects of ethanol, animal models have proven critical in characterizing the mechanisms of ethanol teratogenesis. In this review, we focus on the utility of zebrafish in characterizing ethanol-induced developmental defects. A growing number of laboratories have focused on using zebrafish to examine ethanol-induced defects in craniofacial, cardiac, ocular, and neural development, as well as cognitive and behavioral impairments. Growing evidence supports that genetic predisposition plays a role in these ethanol-induced defects, yet little is understood about these gene-ethanol interactions. With a high degree of genetic amenability, zebrafish is at the forefront of identifying and characterizing the gene-ethanol interactions that underlie FASD. Because of the conservation of gene function between zebrafish and humans, these studies will directly translate to studies of candidate genes in human populations and allow for better diagnosis and treatment of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yohaan Fernandes
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas
| | - Johann K Eberhart
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas
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41
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Gupta KK, Gupta VK, Shirasaka T. An Update on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome-Pathogenesis, Risks, and Treatment. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:1594-602. [PMID: 27375266 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol is a well-established teratogen that can cause variable physical and behavioral effects on the fetus. The most severe condition in this spectrum of diseases is known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The differences in maternal and fetal enzymes, in terms of abundance and efficiency, in addition to reduced elimination, allow for alcohol to have a prolonged effect on the fetus. This can act as a teratogen through numerous methods including reactive oxygen species (generated as by products of CYP2E1), decreased endogenous antioxidant levels, mitochondrial damage, lipid peroxidation, disrupted neuronal cell-cell adhesion, placental vasoconstriction, and inhibition of cofactors required for fetal growth and development. More recently, alcohol has also been shown to have epigenetic effects. Increased fetal exposure to alcohol and sustained alcohol intake during any trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of FAS. Other risk factors include genetic influences, maternal characteristics, for example, lower socioeconomic statuses and smoking, and paternal chronic alcohol use. The treatment options for FAS have recently started to be explored although none are currently approved clinically. These include prenatal antioxidant administration food supplements, folic acid, choline, neuroactive peptides, and neurotrophic growth factors. Tackling the wider impacts of FAS, such as comorbidities, and the family system have been shown to improve the quality of life of FAS patients. This review aimed to focus on the pathogenesis, especially mechanisms of alcohol teratogenicity, and risks of developing FAS. Recent developments in potential management strategies, including prenatal interventions, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vinay K Gupta
- School of Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Tomohiro Shirasaka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
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Sterling ME, Chang GQ, Karatayev O, Chang SY, Leibowitz SF. Effects of embryonic ethanol exposure at low doses on neuronal development, voluntary ethanol consumption and related behaviors in larval and adult zebrafish: Role of hypothalamic orexigenic peptides. Behav Brain Res 2016; 304:125-38. [PMID: 26778786 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic exposure to ethanol is known to affect neurochemical systems in rodents and increase alcohol drinking and related behaviors in humans and rodents. With zebrafish emerging as a powerful tool for uncovering neural mechanisms of numerous diseases and exhibiting similarities to rodents, the present report building on our rat studies examined in zebrafish the effects of embryonic ethanol exposure on hypothalamic neurogenesis, expression of orexigenic neuropeptides, and voluntary ethanol consumption and locomotor behaviors in larval and adult zebrafish, and also effects of central neuropeptide injections on these behaviors affected by ethanol. At 24h post-fertilization, zebrafish embryos were exposed for 2h to ethanol, at low concentrations of 0.25% and 0.5%, in the tank water. Embryonic ethanol compared to control dose-dependently increased hypothalamic neurogenesis and the proliferation and expression of the orexigenic peptides, galanin (GAL) and orexin (OX), in the anterior hypothalamus. These changes in hypothalamic peptide neurons were accompanied by an increase in voluntary consumption of 10% ethanol-gelatin and in novelty-induced locomotor and exploratory behavior in adult zebrafish and locomotor activity in larvae. After intracerebroventricular injection, these peptides compared to vehicle had specific effects on these behaviors altered by ethanol, with GAL stimulating consumption of 10% ethanol-gelatin more than plain gelatin food and OX stimulating novelty-induced locomotor behavior while increasing intake of food and ethanol equally. These results, similar to those obtained in rats, suggest that the ethanol-induced increase in genesis and expression of these hypothalamic peptide neurons contribute to the behavioral changes induced by embryonic exposure to ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Sterling
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - G-Q Chang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - O Karatayev
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - S Y Chang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - S F Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States.
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