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Al-Soufi L, Arana ÁJ, Facal F, Flórez G, Vázquez FL, Arrojo M, Sánchez L, Costas J. Identification of gene co-expression modules from zebrafish brain data: Applications in psychiatry illustrated through alcohol-related traits. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 135:111136. [PMID: 39237023 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111136] [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: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Cumulative evidence suggests that zebrafish is a useful model in psychiatric research. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) enables the reduction of genome-wide expression data to modules of highly co-expressed genes, which are hypothesized to interact within molecular networks. In this study, we first applied WGCNA to zebrafish brain expression data across different experimental conditions. Then, we characterized the different co-expression modules by gene-set enrichment analysis and hub gene-phenotype association. Finally, we analyzed association of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) based on genes of some interesting co-expression modules with alcohol dependence in 524 patients and 729 controls from Galicia, using competitive tests. Our approach revealed 34 co-expression modules in the zebrafish brain, with some showing enrichment in human synaptic genes, brain tissues, or brain developmental stages. Moreover, certain co-expression modules were enriched in psychiatry-related GWAS and comprised hub genes associated with psychiatry-related traits in both human GWAS and zebrafish models. Expression patterns of some co-expression modules were associated with the tested experimental conditions, mainly with substance withdrawal and cold stress. Notably, a PRS based on genes from co-expression modules exclusively associated with substance withdrawal in zebrafish showed a stronger association with human alcohol dependence than PRSs based on randomly selected brain-expressed genes. In conclusion, our analysis led to the identification of co-expressed gene modules that may model human brain gene networks involved in psychiatry-related traits. Specifically, we detected a cluster of co-expressed genes whose expression was exclusively associated with substance withdrawal in zebrafish, which significantly contributed to alcohol dependence susceptibility in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Al-Soufi
- Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Psychiatric Genetics Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Álvaro J Arana
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Fernando Facal
- Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Psychiatric Genetics Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Servizo de Psiquiatría, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Gerardo Flórez
- Addictive Treatment Unit, Ourense University Hospital, Ourense, Galicia, Spain; Centre for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Fernando L Vázquez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Manuel Arrojo
- Servizo de Psiquiatría, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Javier Costas
- Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Psychiatric Genetics Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
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2
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Ide S, Ikeda K. Caenorhabditis elegans for opioid addiction research. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 88:102914. [PMID: 39236640 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
The problem of drug addiction has become a profound societal problem worldwide. A better understanding of the neurobiological basis of addiction and the discovery of more effective treatments are needed. Recent studies have shown that many mechanisms that underlie addiction exist in more primitive organisms, including the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). C. elegans is also hypothesized to possess a functional opioid-like system, including the endogenous opioid-like peptide NLP-24 and opioid-like receptor NPR-17. Opioids, such as morphine, are thought to cause addiction-like behavior by activating dopamine nerves in C. elegans via the opioid-like system. Accumulating evidence suggests that C. elegans is an excellent animal model for identifying molecular mechanisms of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soichiro Ide
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Kazutaka Ikeda
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-Ku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi-cho, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
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3
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Karatayev O, Collier AD, Targoff SR, Leibowitz SF. Neurological Disorders Induced by Drug Use: Effects of Adolescent and Embryonic Drug Exposure on Behavioral Neurodevelopment. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8341. [PMID: 39125913 PMCID: PMC11313660 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158341] [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: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Clinical studies demonstrate that the risk of developing neurological disorders is increased by overconsumption of the commonly used drugs, alcohol, nicotine and cannabis. These drug-induced neurological disorders, which include substance use disorder (SUD) and its co-occurring emotional conditions such as anxiety and depression, are observed not only in adults but also with drug use during adolescence and after prenatal exposure to these drugs, and they are accompanied by long-lasting disturbances in brain development. This report provides overviews of clinical and preclinical studies, which confirm these adverse effects in adolescents and the offspring prenatally exposed to the drugs and include a more in-depth description of specific neuronal systems, their neurocircuitry and molecular mechanisms, affected by drug exposure and of specific techniques used to determine if these effects in the brain are causally related to the behavioral disturbances. With analysis of further studies, this review then addresses four specific questions that are important for fully understanding the impact that drug use in young individuals can have on future pregnancies and their offspring. Evidence demonstrates that the adverse effects on their brain and behavior can occur: (1) at low doses with short periods of drug exposure during pregnancy; (2) after pre-conception drug use by both females and males; (3) in subsequent generations following the initial drug exposure; and (4) in a sex-dependent manner, with drug use producing a greater risk in females than males of developing SUDs with emotional conditions and female offspring after prenatal drug exposure responding more adversely than male offspring. With the recent rise in drug use by adolescents and pregnant women that has occurred in association with the legalization of cannabis and increased availability of vaping tools, these conclusions from the clinical and preclinical literature are particularly alarming and underscore the urgent need to educate young women and men about the possible harmful effects of early drug use and to seek novel therapeutic strategies that might help to limit drug use in young individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sarah F. Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; (O.K.); (S.R.T.)
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4
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Schenk S, Horsfield JA, Dwoskin L, Johnson SL. Methamphetamine effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio) depend on behavioral endpoint, dose and test session duration. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 240:173777. [PMID: 38670467 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173777] [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: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Research using zebrafish (Danio rerio) has begun to provide novel information in many fields, including the behavioral pharmacology of drug use and misuse. There have been limited studies on the effects of methamphetamine in adult zebrafish and the parameters of exposure (dose, test session length) have not been well-documented. Behavior following drug exposure is generally measured during relatively short sessions (6-10 min is common) in a novel tank environment. Many procedural variables (isolation, netting, novel tank) elicit anxiety-like behavior that is most apparent during the initial portion of a test session. This anxiety-like behavior might mask the initial effects of methamphetamine. During longer test sessions, these anxiety-like responses would be expected to habituate and drug effects should become more apparent. To test this idea, we measured several locomotor activity responses for 50-min following a range of methamphetamine doses (0.1-3.0 mg/L via immersion in methamphetamine solution). Methamphetamine failed to alter swimming velocity, distance travelled, or freezing time. In contrast, methamphetamine produced a dose-dependent decrease in time spent in the bottom of the tank, an increase in the number of visits to the top of the tank, and an increase in the number of transitions along the sides of the tank. The effects of methamphetamine were apparent 10-20 min following exposure and generally persisted throughout the session. These findings indicate that longer test sessions are required to measure methamphetamine-induced changes in behavior in zebrafish, as has been shown in other laboratory animals. The results also suggest that anxiety-like responses associated with various procedural aspects (netting, isolation, novel test apparatus) likely interfere with the ability to observe many behavioral effects of methamphetamine in zebrafish. Based on the current results, habituation to testing procedures to reduce anxiety-like behaviors is recommended in determining the effects of methamphetamine in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Schenk
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Linda Dwoskin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Sheri L Johnson
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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Hussen E, Aakel N, Shaito AA, Al-Asmakh M, Abou-Saleh H, Zakaria ZZ. Zebrafish ( Danio rerio) as a Model for the Study of Developmental and Cardiovascular Toxicity of Electronic Cigarettes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:194. [PMID: 38203365 PMCID: PMC10779276 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The increasing popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as an alternative to conventional tobacco products has raised concerns regarding their potential adverse effects. The cardiovascular system undergoes intricate processes forming the heart and blood vessels during fetal development. However, the precise impact of e-cigarette smoke and aerosols on these delicate developmental processes remains elusive. Previous studies have revealed changes in gene expression patterns, disruptions in cellular signaling pathways, and increased oxidative stress resulting from e-cigarette exposure. These findings indicate the potential for e-cigarettes to cause developmental and cardiovascular harm. This comprehensive review article discusses various aspects of electronic cigarette use, emphasizing the relevance of cardiovascular studies in Zebrafish for understanding the risks to human health. It also highlights novel experimental approaches and technologies while addressing their inherent challenges and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman Hussen
- Biological Science Program, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar;
| | - Nada Aakel
- Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar; (N.A.); (M.A.-A.); (H.A.-S.)
| | - Abdullah A. Shaito
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar;
| | - Maha Al-Asmakh
- Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar; (N.A.); (M.A.-A.); (H.A.-S.)
| | - Haissam Abou-Saleh
- Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar; (N.A.); (M.A.-A.); (H.A.-S.)
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar;
| | - Zain Z. Zakaria
- Medical and Health Sciences Office, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar
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6
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Rezayof A, Ghasemzadeh Z, Sahafi OH. Addictive drugs modify neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity to impair memory formation through neurotransmitter imbalances and signaling dysfunction. Neurochem Int 2023; 169:105572. [PMID: 37423274 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2023.105572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Drug abuse changes neurophysiological functions at multiple cellular and molecular levels in the addicted brain. Well-supported scientific evidence suggests that drugs negatively affect memory formation, decision-making and inhibition, and emotional and cognitive behaviors. The mesocorticolimbic brain regions are involved in reward-related learning and habitual drug-seeking/taking behaviors to develop physiological and psychological dependence on the drugs. This review highlights the importance of specific drug-induced chemical imbalances resulting in memory impairment through various neurotransmitter receptor-mediated signaling pathways. The mesocorticolimbic modifications in the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) impair reward-related memory formation following drug abuse. The contributions of protein kinases and microRNAs (miRNAs), along with the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation have also been considered in memory impairment underlying drug addiction. Overall, we integrate the research on various types of drug-induced memory impairment in distinguished brain regions and provide a comprehensive review with clinical implications addressing the upcoming studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameneh Rezayof
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Zahra Ghasemzadeh
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Oveis Hosseinzadeh Sahafi
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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7
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Araujo-Silva H, de Souza AM, Mamede JPM, de Medeiros SRB, Luchiari AC. Individual differences in response to alcohol and nicotine in zebrafish: Gene expression and behavior. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:434-445. [PMID: 37435714 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12876] [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: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol and nicotine are psychoactive substances responsible for serious health consequences. Although the biological mechanisms of alcohol and nicotine have been studied extensively, individual differences in the response to these drugs have received little attention. Here we evaluated gene expression and behavior of bold and shy individuals after acute exposure to alcohol and nicotine. For this, zebrafish were classified as bold and shy individuals based on emergence tests, and then fish were exposed to 0.00, 0.10, and 0.50% alcohol or 0.00, 1.00, and 5.00 mg/L nicotine and their anxiety-like and locomotor behavior was observed. After behavioral assessment, brain mRNA expression (ache, bdnf, gaba1, gad1b, th1, and tph1) was evaluated. Locomotion patterns differed between profiles depending on alcohol and nicotine concentration. Anxiety increased in shy fish and decreased in bold fish after exposure to both drugs. Alcohol exposure induced an increase in tph1 mRNA expression in bold fish, while bdnf mRNA expression was increased in shy fish. Nicotine increased ache, bdnf, and tph1 mRNA levels in both profiles, but at higher levels in bold fish. Based on our research, we found that alcohol induces anxiogenic effects in both bold and shy zebrafish. Additionally, shy individuals exposed to a low concentration of nicotine exhibited stronger anxiety-like responses than their bold counterparts. These findings further support the validity of using zebrafish as a dependable tool for studying the effects of drugs and uncovering the underlying mechanisms associated with individual variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloysa Araujo-Silva
- Department of Physiology and Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Psychobiology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Augusto Monteiro de Souza
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - João Paulo Medeiros Mamede
- Department of Physiology and Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Psychobiology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Carolina Luchiari
- Department of Physiology and Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Psychobiology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Maslov GO, Zabegalov KN, Demin KA, Kolesnikova TO, Kositsyn YM, de Abreu MS, Petersen EV, Kalueff AV. Towards experimental models of delirium utilizing zebrafish. Behav Brain Res 2023; 453:114607. [PMID: 37524203 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Delirium is an acute neuropsychiatric condition characterized by impaired behavior and cognition. Although the syndrome has been known for millennia, its CNS mechanisms and risk factors remain poorly understood. Experimental animal models, especially rodent-based, are commonly used to probe various pathogenetic aspects of delirium. Complementing rodents, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) emerges as a promising novel model organism to study delirium. Zebrafish demonstrate high genetic and physiological homology to mammals, easy maintenance, robust behaviors in various sensitive behavioral tests, and the potential to screen for pharmacological agents relevant to delirium. Here, we critically discuss recent developments in the field, and emphasize the developing utility of zebrafish models for translational studies of delirium and deliriant drugs. Overall, the zebrafish represents a valuable and promising aquatic model species whose use may help understand delirium etiology, as well as develop novel therapies for this severely debilitating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gleb O Maslov
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | | | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tatiana O Kolesnikova
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yuriy M Kositsyn
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Murilo S de Abreu
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Elena V Petersen
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia; Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia; Laboratory of Preclinical Bioscreening, Granov Russian Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Pesochny, Russia; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia.
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Farías-Cea A, Leal C, Hödar-Salazar M, Esparza E, Martínez-Duran L, Fuentes I, Iturriaga-Vásquez P. Behavioral Study of 3- and 5-Halocytisine Derivatives in Zebrafish Using the Novel Tank Diving Test (NTT). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10635. [PMID: 37445811 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310635] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is a serious mental disorder, and recent statistics have determined that 35.12% of the global population had an anxiety disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mechanism associated with anxiolytic effects is related to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists, principally acting on the α4β2 nAChR subtype. nAChRs are present in different animal models, including murine and teleosteos ones. Zebrafish has become an ideal animal model due to its high human genetic similarities (70%), giving it high versatility in different areas of study, among them in behavioral studies related to anxiety. The novel tank diving test (NTT) is one of the many paradigms used for studies on new drugs related to their anxiolytic effect. In this work, an adult zebrafish was used to determine the behavioral effects of 3- and 5-halocytisine derivatives, using the NTT at different doses. Our results show that substitution at position 3 by chlorine or bromine decreases the time spent by the fish at the bottom compared to the control. However, the 3-chloro derivative at higher doses increases the bottom dwelling time. In contrast, substitution at the 5 position increases bottom dwelling at all concentrations showing no anxiolytic effects in this model. Unexpected results were observed with the 5-chlorocytisine derivative, which at a concentration of 10 mg/L produced a significant decrease in bottom dwelling and showed high times of freezing. In conclusion, the 3-chloro and 3-bromo derivatives show an anxiolytic effect, the 3-chlorocytisine derivative being more potent than the 3-bromo derivative, with the lowest time at the bottom of the tank at 1mg/L. On the other hand, chlorine, and bromine at position 5 produce an opposite effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaury Farías-Cea
- Laboratorio de Farmacología Molecular y Química Medicinal, Departamento de Ciencias Química y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
| | - Cristóbal Leal
- Laboratorio de Farmacología Molecular y Química Medicinal, Departamento de Ciencias Química y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
| | - Martín Hödar-Salazar
- Laboratorio de Farmacología Molecular y Química Medicinal, Departamento de Ciencias Química y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias mención Biología Celular y Molecular Aplicada, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
| | - Erica Esparza
- Laboratorio de Farmacología Molecular y Química Medicinal, Departamento de Ciencias Química y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias mención Biología Celular y Molecular Aplicada, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
| | - Luis Martínez-Duran
- Laboratorio de Farmacología Molecular y Química Medicinal, Departamento de Ciencias Química y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias mención Biología Celular y Molecular Aplicada, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
| | - Irma Fuentes
- Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco 4810101, Chile
| | - Patricio Iturriaga-Vásquez
- Laboratorio de Farmacología Molecular y Química Medicinal, Departamento de Ciencias Química y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
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10
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Oommen AM, Roberts KJ, Joshi L, Cunningham S. Transcriptomic Analysis of Glycosylation and Neuroregulatory Pathways in Rodent Models in Response to Psychedelic Molecules. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021200. [PMID: 36674723 PMCID: PMC9867456 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential for psychedelic molecules in impacting cognitive flexibility has long been supported and acknowledged across scientific reports. In the current study, an approach leveraging knowledge-based gene-set information analysis has been adopted to explore the potential impact of psychedelic molecules on both glycosylation, (a post-translational modifications (PTM)) and on neuro-regulatory pathways. Though limitations and restrictions rise from the scarcity of publicly available 'omics' data, targeted analysis enabled us to identify a number of key glycogenes (Hexb, Hs6st2, Col9a2, B3gat2, Mgat5, Bgn) involved the structural organization of extracellular matrix and neuroprotective factors (Kl, Pomc, Oxt, Gal, Avp, Cartpt) which play vital roles in neuron protection, development as well as synaptic stability. In response to psychedelic molecules, we found that these genes and associated pathways are transcriptional altered in rodent models. The approach used indicates the potential to exploit existing datasets for hypothesis generation and testing for the molecular processes which play a role in the physiological response to psychedelic molecule effects. These reported findings, which focused on alterations in glycogenes and neuro-regulatory factors may provide a novel range of biomarkers to track the beneficial, as well as potential toxicological effects of psychedelic molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anup M. Oommen
- Advanced Glycoscience Research Cluster (AGRC), University of Galway, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland
- CÚRAM, SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, Biomedical Sciences, University of Galway, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland
| | - Katherine J. Roberts
- Department of Health and Behaviour Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Lokesh Joshi
- Advanced Glycoscience Research Cluster (AGRC), University of Galway, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland
- CÚRAM, SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, Biomedical Sciences, University of Galway, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland
- Correspondence: (L.J.); (S.C.)
| | - Stephen Cunningham
- Advanced Glycoscience Research Cluster (AGRC), University of Galway, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland
- CÚRAM, SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, Biomedical Sciences, University of Galway, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland
- Correspondence: (L.J.); (S.C.)
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11
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Wu Y, Wang A, Fu L, Liu M, Li K, Chian S, Yao W, Wang B, Wang J. Fentanyl Induces Novel Conditioned Place Preference in Adult Zebrafish, Disrupts Neurotransmitter Homeostasis, and Triggers Behavioral Changes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13533. [PMID: 36294112 PMCID: PMC9603063 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Abuse of new psychoactive substances increases risk of addiction, which can lead to serious brain disorders. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid commonly used in clinical practice, and behavioral changes resulting from fentanyl addiction have rarely been studied with zebrafish models. In this study, we evaluated the rewarding effects of intraperitoneal injections of fentanyl at concentrations of 10, 100, and 1000 mg/L on the group shoaling behavior in adult zebrafish. Additional behavioral tests on individual zebrafish, including novel tank, novel object exploration, mirror attack, social preference, and T-maze memory, were utilized to evaluate fentanyl-induced neuro-behavioral toxicity. The high doses of 1000 mg/L fentanyl produced significant reward effects in zebrafish and altered the neuro-behavioral profiles: reduced cohesion in shoaling behavior, decreased anxiety levels, reduced exploratory behavior, increased aggression behavior, affected social preference, and suppressed memory in an appetitive associative learning task. Behavioral changes in zebrafish were shown to be associated with altered neurotransmitters, such as elevated glutamine (Gln), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine hydrochloride (DA), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). This study identified potential fentanyl-induced neurotoxicity through multiple neurobehavioral assessments, which provided a method for assessing risk of addiction to new psychoactive substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanzhao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Control Technology of Zhejiang Province, The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Anli Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Intelligent Food Technology and Equipment, Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Agro-Food Processing, Fuli Institute of Food Science, College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lixiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Control Technology of Zhejiang Province, The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou 310053, China
- Office of Criminal Science and Technology, Xiaoshan District Branch of Hangzhou Public Security Bureau, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Meng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Control Technology of Zhejiang Province, The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Kang Li
- Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Control Technology of Zhejiang Province, The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Song Chian
- Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Control Technology of Zhejiang Province, The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Weixuan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Control Technology of Zhejiang Province, The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Binjie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Control Technology of Zhejiang Province, The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Jiye Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Prevention and Control Technology of Zhejiang Province, The Department of Criminal Science and Technology, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou 310053, China
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12
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Tan JXM, Ang RJW, Wee CL. Larval Zebrafish as a Model for Mechanistic Discovery in Mental Health. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:900213. [PMID: 35813062 PMCID: PMC9263853 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.900213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models are essential for the discovery of mechanisms and treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. However, complex mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety are difficult to fully recapitulate in these models. Borrowing from the field of psychiatric genetics, we reiterate the framework of 'endophenotypes' - biological or behavioral markers with cellular, molecular or genetic underpinnings - to reduce complex disorders into measurable behaviors that can be compared across organisms. Zebrafish are popular disease models due to the conserved genetic, physiological and anatomical pathways between zebrafish and humans. Adult zebrafish, which display more sophisticated behaviors and cognition, have long been used to model psychiatric disorders. However, larvae (up to 1 month old) are more numerous and also optically transparent, and hence are particularly suited for high-throughput screening and brain-wide neural circuit imaging. A number of behavioral assays have been developed to quantify neuropsychiatric phenomena in larval zebrafish. Here, we will review these assays and the current knowledge regarding the underlying mechanisms of their behavioral readouts. We will also discuss the existing evidence linking larval zebrafish behavior to specific human behavioral traits and how the endophenotype framework can be applied. Importantly, many of the endophenotypes we review do not solely define a diseased state but could manifest as a spectrum across the general population. As such, we make the case for larval zebrafish as a promising model for extending our understanding of population mental health, and for identifying novel therapeutics and interventions with broad impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Caroline Lei Wee
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
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13
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Georgieva E, Benkova K, Vlaeva N, Karamalakova Y, Miteva R, Abrashev H, Nikolova G. Is Illicit Substance Use Gender-Specific? The Basic Points of Mental and Health Disorders. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10070344. [PMID: 35878250 PMCID: PMC9323370 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10070344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Among the groups of users of illicit substances, a high percentage are persons deprived of their liberty; at the same time, each social and age group is also affected, to one degree or another. The purpose of this study is to provide general data on the relationship between different psychostimulants, clinical and socio-demographic studies, and gender, both among the general population and in one of the most at-risk groups. This review identifies the use of illicit substances as gender-specific in the general population. A detailed study of the causal relationship between the use of illicit substances and gender was carried out. Electronic databases Academic Search Complete, PubMed, HealthCare, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant studies up to 2022 associated with drug abuse and mental and health disorders. The analysis indicated that the human population showed significant differences between the sex of the consumer as to the type of drug consumers, development of addiction, and relapse. We focus on the pathological changes caused by drug use, the personal and physiological individual traits that influence drug choice, and the extent of use in one of the most affected groups of individuals. The study may provide some guidance in developing gender-specific treatment and prevention, including response to some pharmacological and behavioral therapies. The review is intended for a wide audience of social workers, toxicologists, and pharmacologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Georgieva
- Department of General and Clinical Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Deontology and Dermatovenerology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (E.G.); (R.M.)
- Department of Medical Psychology, Social Activities and Foreign Languages, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (K.B.); (N.V.)
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Krasimira Benkova
- Department of Medical Psychology, Social Activities and Foreign Languages, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (K.B.); (N.V.)
| | - Nadya Vlaeva
- Department of Medical Psychology, Social Activities and Foreign Languages, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (K.B.); (N.V.)
| | - Yanka Karamalakova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Radostina Miteva
- Department of General and Clinical Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Deontology and Dermatovenerology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (E.G.); (R.M.)
| | - Hristo Abrashev
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Galina Nikolova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +359-897-771-301
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14
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Martins Fernandes Pereira K, Calheiros de Carvalho A, André Moura Veiga T, Melgoza A, Bonne Hernández R, dos Santos Grecco S, Uchiyama Nakamura M, Guo S. The psychoactive effects of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken leaves in young zebrafish. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264987. [PMID: 35263358 PMCID: PMC8906576 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken (BP) is a plant that is used worldwide to treat inflammation, infections, anxiety, restlessness, and sleep disorders. While it is known that BP leaves are rich in flavonoids, the extent of the beneficial and toxic effects of its crude extracts remains unclear. Although some neurobehavioral studies using leaf extracts have been conducted, none has examined the effects of water-extracted leaf samples. The zebrafish is a powerful animal model used to gain insights into the efficacy and toxicity profiles of this plant due to its high fecundity, external development, and ease of performing behavioral assays. In this study, we performed behavioral testing after acute exposure to different concentrations of aqueous extract from leaves of B. pinnatum (LABP) on larval zebrafish, investigating light/dark preference, thigmotaxis, and locomotor activity parameters under both normal and stressed conditions. LABP demonstrated dose-and time-dependent biphasic effects on larval behavior. Acute exposure (25 min) to 500 mg/L LABP resulted in decreased locomotor activity. Exposure to 300 mg/L LABP during the sleep cycle decreased dark avoidance and thigmotaxis while increasing swimming velocity. After sleep deprivation, the group treated with 100 mg/L LABP showed decreased dark avoidance and increased velocity. After a heating stressor, the 30 mg/L and 300 mg/L LABP-treated groups showed decreased dark avoidance. These results suggest both anxiolytic and psychoactive effects of LABP in a dose-dependent manner in a larval zebrafish model. These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying relevant behavioral effects, consequently supporting the safe and effective use of LABP for the treatment of mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kassia Martins Fernandes Pereira
- Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Programs in Biological Sciences and Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | - Adam Melgoza
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Programs in Biological Sciences and Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Raúl Bonne Hernández
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Environmental Toxicology–LABITA, Department of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Diadema. SP. Brazil
| | | | | | - Su Guo
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Programs in Biological Sciences and Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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15
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Ponzoni L, Melzi G, Marabini L, Martini A, Petrillo G, Teh MT, Torres-Perez JV, Morara S, Gotti C, Braida D, Brennan CH, Sala M. Conservation of mechanisms regulating emotional-like responses on spontaneous nicotine withdrawal in zebrafish and mammals. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 111:110334. [PMID: 33905756 PMCID: PMC8380689 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nicotine withdrawal syndrome is a major clinical problem. Animal models with sufficient predictive validity to support translation of pre-clinical findings to clinical research are lacking. AIMS We evaluated the behavioural and neurochemical alterations in zebrafish induced by short- and long-term nicotine withdrawal. METHODS Zebrafish were exposed to 1 mg/L nicotine for 2 weeks. Dependence was determined using behavioural analysis following mecamylamine-induced withdrawal, and brain nicotinic receptor binding studies. Separate groups of nicotine-exposed and control fish were assessed for anxiety-like behaviours, anhedonia and memory deficits following 2-60 days spontaneous withdrawal. Gene expression analysis using whole brain samples from nicotine-treated and control fish was performed at 7 and 60 days after the last drug exposure. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in pretectum was also analysed. RESULTS Mecamylamine-precipitated withdrawal nicotine-exposed fish showed increased anxiety-like behaviour as evidenced by increased freezing and decreased exploration. 3H-Epibatidine labeled heteromeric nicotinic acethylcholine receptors (nAChR) significantly increased after 2 weeks of nicotine exposure while 125I-αBungarotoxin labeled homomeric nAChR remained unchanged. Spontaneous nicotine withdrawal elicited anxiety-like behaviour (increased bottom dwelling), reduced motivation in terms of no preference for the enriched side in a place preference test starting from Day 7 after withdrawal and a progressive decrease of memory attention (lowering discrimination index). Behavioural differences were associated with brain gene expression changes: nicotine withdrawn animals showed decreased expression of chrna 4 and chrna7 after 60 days, and of htr2a from 7 to 60 days.The expression of c-Fos was significantly increased at 7 days. Finally, Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity increased in dorsal parvocellular pretectal nucleus, but not in periventricular nucleus of posterior tuberculum nor in optic tectum, at 60 days after withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that nicotine withdrawal induced anxiety-like behaviour, cognitive alterations, gene expression changes and increase in pretectal TH expression, similar to those observed in humans and rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gloria Melzi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Marabini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Muy-Teck Teh
- Centre for Oral Immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, England, UK
| | - Jose V Torres-Perez
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Daniela Braida
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine
| | - Caroline H Brennan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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16
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Short-term high-fat diet induces cognitive decline, aggression, and anxiety-like behavior in adult zebrafish. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 110:110288. [PMID: 33626334 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is a global health problem with high prevalence and defined by a high body mass index (BMI). Several comorbidities affecting the central nervous system (CNS) are associated with obesity (e.g., neurodegenerative diseases, cognitive deficit, and psychobehavioral disturbs). The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been considered a suitable model organism to investigate the neurobehavioral features of various human diseases. Here, we verify the impact of a high-fat diet (HFD) on the CNS by specifically assessing the effects of short-term HFD on anxiety-like responses, aggression, social preference, and memory, which are essential behaviors for survival and reproduction. Animals were separated in three experimental groups. The standard diet group (SD) received 7.5 mg/fish of dry food, while HFD groups received 5 mg/fish dry food plus 7.5 (HFD-7.5) or 15 mg/fish (HFD-15) of chicken egg yolk daily. Dietary fat content (w/w) was approximately 6.5%, 16.9%, and 21.1%, respectively. We performed behavioral tests and morphometric analyses after two weeks of HFD. In comparison to SD animals, HFD groups showed typical obesogenic responses with increases in BMI, abdominal length, and body weight. HFD individuals also showed increased aggression and anxiety-like behaviors in the mirror-induced aggression and novel tank diving tests, respectively. Interestingly, HFD did not change the social preference behavior, mean swimming speed or spontaneous activity levels, while the HFD-15 group showed cognitive deficits in the inhibitory avoidance test. Collectively, this "proof-of-concept" study is the first report to characterize the effects of short-term HFD on different behavioral domains of zebrafish with high degree of face validity. Moreover, our data reinforce the growing utility of zebrafish to explore the neurobehavioral basis of obesity, providing clinically translatable data, complementing the existing rodent models and supporting future mechanistic studies.
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17
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Lachowicz J, Niedziałek K, Rostkowska E, Szopa A, Świąder K, Szponar J, Serefko A. Zebrafish as an Animal Model for Testing Agents with Antidepressant Potential. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11080792. [PMID: 34440536 PMCID: PMC8401799 DOI: 10.3390/life11080792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a serious mental disease that, according to statistics, affects 320 million people worldwide. Additionally, a current situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant deterioration of mental health in people around the world. So far, rodents have been treated as basic animal models used in studies on this disease, but in recent years, Danio rerio has emerged as a new organism that might serve well in preclinical experiments. Zebrafish have a lot of advantages, such as a quick reproductive cycle, transparent body during the early developmental stages, high genetic and physiological homology to humans, and low costs of maintenance. Here, we discuss the potential of the zebrafish model to be used in behavioral studies focused on testing agents with antidepressant potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Lachowicz
- Student’s Scientific Circle at Laboratory of Preclinical Testing, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.L.); (K.N.)
| | - Karolina Niedziałek
- Student’s Scientific Circle at Laboratory of Preclinical Testing, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.L.); (K.N.)
| | | | - Aleksandra Szopa
- Laboratory of Preclinical Testing, Chair and Department of Applied and Social Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Katarzyna Świąder
- Chair and Department of Applied and Social Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Jarosław Szponar
- Clinical Department of Toxicology and Cardiology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
- Toxicology Clinic, Stefan Wyszyński Regional Specialist Hospital in Lublin, Al. Kraśnicka 100, 20-718 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Serefko
- Laboratory of Preclinical Testing, Chair and Department of Applied and Social Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (A.S.)
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18
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de F Cesário HPS, Silva FCO, Ferreira MKA, de Menezes JESA, Dos Santos HS, Nogueira CES, de L Silva KSB, Hajdu E, Silveira ER, Pessoa ODL. Anxiolytic-like effect of brominated compounds from the marine sponge Aplysina fulva on adult zebrafish (Danio rerio): Involvement of the GABAergic system. Neurochem Int 2021; 146:105021. [PMID: 33741413 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Benzodiazepines are commonly used to treat disorders of the central nervous system, including anxiety. However, due to their adverse effects, there is a continuing interest in discovering new safe and effective drugs. Marine natural products have emerged as a prolific source of bioactive nitrogenated compounds. Aiming to discover new biologically active natural compounds, the marine sponge Aplysina fulva, a nitrogen-bearing heterocyst producer, was investigated. The main isolated compounds (4, 6, and 9) were evaluated on adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). A group of fishes (n = 6) was preliminarily subjected to acute toxicity, and open field tests using 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/mL (v. o.) of those compounds was performed. The anxiolytic effect was further investigated in the light/dark assay based on the locomotor response at zebrafish. Interactions through the GABAergic system were investigated using flumazenil, a silent modulator of GABA receptors. To improve the results, a study of molecular docking using the GABAA receptor also was performed. Based on the results, the bromotyrosine derivative compounds 4, 6, and 9 exhibited anxiolytic-like effects mediated by the GABAergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hozana Patrícia S de F Cesário
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60455-760, Brazil
| | | | | | - Jane Eire S A de Menezes
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Products, Ceará State University, Fortaleza, CE, 60174-903, Brazil
| | - Hélcio S Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Products, Synthesis and Biocatalysis of Organic Compounds, Vale do Acaraú University, Sobral, CE, 62040-370, Brazil
| | - Carlos E S Nogueira
- Department of Physics, Regional University of Cariri, Crato, CE, 63041-145, Brazil
| | - Karísia S B de L Silva
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60455-760, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Hajdu
- Department of Invertebrates, National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20940-040, Brazil
| | - Edilberto R Silveira
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60455-760, Brazil
| | - Otília Deusdênia L Pessoa
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Science Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60455-760, Brazil.
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Pisera-Fuster A, Zwiller J, Bernabeu R. Methionine Supplementation Abolishes Nicotine-Induced Place Preference in Zebrafish: a Behavioral and Molecular Analysis. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:2590-2607. [PMID: 33475949 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02260-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In zebrafish, nicotine is known to regulate sensitivity to psychostimulants via epigenetic mechanisms. Little however is known about the regulation of addictive-like behavior by DNA methylation processes. To evaluate the influence of DNA methylation on nicotine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), zebrafish were exposed to methyl supplementation through oral L-methionine (Met) administration. Met was found to reduce dramatically nicotine-induced CPP as well as behaviors associated with drug reward. The reduction was associated with the upregulation of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1 and 3) as well as with the downregulation of methyl-cytosine dioxygenase-1 (TET1) and of nicotinic receptor subunits. Met also increased the expression of histone methyltransferases in nicotine-induced CPP groups. It reversed the nicotine-induced reduction in the methylation at α7 and NMDAR1 gene promoters. Treatment with the DNMT inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (AZA) was found to reverse the effects of Met in structures of the reward pathway. Interestingly, Met did not modify the amount of the phospho-form of CREB (pCREB), a key factor establishing nicotine conditioning, whereas AZA increased pCREB levels. Our data suggest that nicotine-seeking behavior is partially dependent on DNA methylation occurring probably at specific gene loci, such as α7 and NMDAR1 receptor gene promoters. Overall, they suggest that Met should be considered as a potential therapeutic drug to treat nicotine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Pisera-Fuster
- Department of Physiology and Institute of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155 7thfloor (C1121ABG), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jean Zwiller
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ramon Bernabeu
- Department of Physiology and Institute of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155 7thfloor (C1121ABG), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Nitrate and nitrite exposure leads to mild anxiogenic-like behavior and alters brain metabolomic profile in zebrafish. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240070. [PMID: 33382700 PMCID: PMC7774831 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dietary nitrate lowers blood pressure and improves athletic performance in humans, yet data supporting observations that it may increase cerebral blood flow and improve cognitive performance are mixed. We tested the hypothesis that nitrate and nitrite treatment would improve indicators of learning and cognitive performance in a zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. We utilized targeted and untargeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to examine the extent to which treatment resulted in changes in nitrate or nitrite concentrations in the brain and altered the brain metabolome. Fish were exposed to sodium nitrate (606.9 mg/L), sodium nitrite (19.5 mg/L), or control water for 2–4 weeks and free swim, startle response, and shuttle box assays were performed. Nitrate and nitrite treatment did not change fish weight, length, predator avoidance, or distance and velocity traveled in an unstressed environment. Nitrate- and nitrite-treated fish initially experienced more negative reinforcement and increased time to decision in the shuttle box assay, which is consistent with a decrease in associative learning or executive function however, over multiple trials, all treatment groups demonstrated behaviors associated with learning. Nitrate and nitrite treatment was associated with mild anxiogenic-like behavior but did not alter epinephrine, norepinephrine or dopamine levels. Targeted metabolomics analysis revealed no significant increase in brain nitrate or nitrite concentrations with treatment. Untargeted metabolomics analysis found 47 metabolites whose abundance was significantly altered in the brain with nitrate and nitrite treatment. Overall, the depletion in brain metabolites is plausibly associated with the regulation of neuronal activity including statistically significant reductions in the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA; 18–19%), and its precursor, glutamine (17–22%). Nitrate treatment caused significant depletion in the brain concentration of fatty acids including linoleic acid (LA) by 50% and arachidonic acid (ARA) by 80%; nitrite treatment caused depletion of LA by ~90% and ARA by 60%, change which could alter the function of dopaminergic neurons and affect behavior. Nitrate and nitrite treatment did not adversely affect multiple parameters of zebrafish health. It is plausible that indirect NO-mediated mechanisms may be responsible for the nitrate and nitrite-mediated effects on the brain metabolome and behavior in zebrafish.
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