The zebrafish tail immobilization (ZTI) test as a new tool to assess stress-related behavior and a potential screen for drugs affecting despair-like states.
Behavioral despair
Depression
Drug screening
Immobilization
Zebrafish
Journal
Journal of neuroscience methods
ISSN: 1872-678X
Titre abrégé: J Neurosci Methods
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 7905558
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 05 2020
01 05 2020
Historique:
received:
12
11
2019
revised:
14
02
2020
accepted:
16
02
2020
pubmed:
23
2
2020
medline:
22
6
2021
entrez:
22
2
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Affective disorders, especially depression and anxiety, are highly prevalent, debilitating mental illnesses. Animal experimental models are a valuable tool in translational affective neuroscience research. A hallmark phenotype of clinical and experimental depression, the learned helplessness, has become a key target for 'behavioral despair'-based animal models of depression. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has recently emerged as a promising novel organism for affective disease modeling and CNS drug screening. Despite being widely used to assess stress and anxiety-like behaviors, there are presently no clear-cut despair-like models in zebrafish. Here, we introduce a novel behavioral paradigm, the zebrafish tail immobilization (ZTI) test, as a potential tool to assess zebrafish despair-like behavior. Conceptually similar to rodent 'despair' models, the ZTI protocol involves immobilizing the caudal half of the fish body for 5 min, leaving the cranial part to move freely, suspended vertically in a small beaker with water. To validate this model, we used exposure to low-voltage electric shock, alarm pheromone, selected antidepressants (sertraline and amitriptyline) and an anxiolytic drug benzodiazepine (phenazepam), assessing the number of mobility episodes, time spent 'moving', total distance moved and other activity measures of the cranial part of the body, using video-tracking. Both electric shock and alarm pheromone decreased zebrafish activity in this test, antidepressants increased it, and phenazepam was inactive. Furthermore, a 5-min ZTI exposure increased serotonin turnover, elevating the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid/serotonin ratio in zebrafish brain, while electric shock prior to ZTI elevated both this and the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid/dopamine ratios. In contrast, preexposure to antidepressants sertraline and amitriptyline lowered both ratios, compared to the ZTI test-exposed fish. The ZTI test is the first despair-like experimental model in zebrafish. Collectively, this study suggests the ZTI test as a potentially useful protocol to assess stress-/despair-related behaviors, potentially relevant to CNS drug screening and behavioral phenotyping of zebrafish.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Affective disorders, especially depression and anxiety, are highly prevalent, debilitating mental illnesses. Animal experimental models are a valuable tool in translational affective neuroscience research. A hallmark phenotype of clinical and experimental depression, the learned helplessness, has become a key target for 'behavioral despair'-based animal models of depression. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has recently emerged as a promising novel organism for affective disease modeling and CNS drug screening. Despite being widely used to assess stress and anxiety-like behaviors, there are presently no clear-cut despair-like models in zebrafish.
NEW METHOD
Here, we introduce a novel behavioral paradigm, the zebrafish tail immobilization (ZTI) test, as a potential tool to assess zebrafish despair-like behavior. Conceptually similar to rodent 'despair' models, the ZTI protocol involves immobilizing the caudal half of the fish body for 5 min, leaving the cranial part to move freely, suspended vertically in a small beaker with water.
RESULTS
To validate this model, we used exposure to low-voltage electric shock, alarm pheromone, selected antidepressants (sertraline and amitriptyline) and an anxiolytic drug benzodiazepine (phenazepam), assessing the number of mobility episodes, time spent 'moving', total distance moved and other activity measures of the cranial part of the body, using video-tracking. Both electric shock and alarm pheromone decreased zebrafish activity in this test, antidepressants increased it, and phenazepam was inactive. Furthermore, a 5-min ZTI exposure increased serotonin turnover, elevating the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid/serotonin ratio in zebrafish brain, while electric shock prior to ZTI elevated both this and the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid/dopamine ratios. In contrast, preexposure to antidepressants sertraline and amitriptyline lowered both ratios, compared to the ZTI test-exposed fish.
COMPARISON WITH EXISTINGMETHOD(S)
The ZTI test is the first despair-like experimental model in zebrafish.
CONCLUSIONS
Collectively, this study suggests the ZTI test as a potentially useful protocol to assess stress-/despair-related behaviors, potentially relevant to CNS drug screening and behavioral phenotyping of zebrafish.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32081675
pii: S0165-0270(20)30059-5
doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108637
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Pharmaceutical Preparations
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
108637Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.