A team of researchers has studied chronic stress in zebrafish and determined that the animal can serve as a valuable model species for research into the associated brain diseases, complementing research currently done on rodents. The paper was published in Scientific Reports.
The zebrafish, also known as Danio rerio, is a freshwater fish from the minnow family. It got its name for the stripes on its body. Zebrafish are widely used as a translational model in genetics, molecular biology, embryology, pharmacology, and -- more recently -- in neurobiology. Their use as lab animals was pioneered in the '60s by U.S. biologist George Streisinger.
The zebrafish offers a number of advantages over other vertebrates. It exhibits fast embryo development, evolving from an egg to larva in just three days. It is fairly large, tough and resilient, in addition to being transparent and developing outside the mother's body, allowing for easier observation and manipulation. Many internal organs of zebrafish, particularly the cardiovascular system, function in a similar way to humans, and this is also true about the signaling pathways. Overall, we share 87% of our genome with zebrafish. All of that enables biomedical researchers to extrapolate their findings from zebrafish to humans, enabling reliable studies of drug toxicity and more.
Zebrafish have emerged as a popular model animal in neurobiology, because both hatchlings and adult fish exhibit fairly complex behavior. The research team began to develop model prolonged chronic stress on zebrafish and identify the molecular changes in the body that accompany this condition. The study demonstrated that zebrafish are an adequate translational model for researching complex neurobiological conditions. The scientists also collected data that may prove useful to those developing treatment options for patients with chronic stress.
Mounting evidence from research on mental disorders points to them as a risk factor contributing to the development of other serious and sometimes incurable pathologies. This prompts scientists to investigate the nature of these diseases and their development.
In the study reported in this story, neurobiologists modeled chronic unpredictable stress lasting five weeks. The team stressed a group of lab fish by unexpectedly disturbing it, and monitored the complex behavioral response. Eventually the zebrafish were diagnosed with an anxiety-like condition and serotonin metabolism deficit.
"The fact that the drug had a positive effect in fish does not directly translate into the same response in humans. It is necessary to run many experiments and use a number of test systems to prove that the zebrafish is indeed a suitable translational species to transfer such findings to humans," commented the study's principal investigator. "Our study has shown that it's possible to induce prolonged chronic unpredictable stress in zebrafish, with the condition confirmed by all available methods of evidence-based and molecular biology. This means that Danio rerio is susceptible to stress and exhibits behavioral symptoms similar to those observed in higher species."
The stressed zebrafish in the study were given a common antidepressant called fluoxetine for 11 days, with the resulting neurochemical and behavioral changes closely monitored. The drug reduced the symptoms, and its action was also confirmed via transcriptomic, behavioral, and biochemical analyses.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-75855-3
http://sciencemission.com/site/index.php?page=news&type=view&id=publications%2Funderstanding-complex&filter=22
Zebra fish, an animal model to study chronic stress?
- 856 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
Abusive drugs hijack natura…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
Mechanism of action of the…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
Role of fat in rare neurolo…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
How protein synthesis in de…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Atlas of mRNA variants in d…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Other Top Stories
Mouse pups with human mutation show signs of stuttering
Read more
Mechanism behind brains derailed train of thought
Read more
Effect of progressive weight loss on metabolic functions
Read more
Alcohol exposure during pregnancy affects multiple generations
Read more
Dysregulation of miRNA-9 in a Subset of Schizophrenia Patient-Deriv…
Read more
Protocols
A programmable targeted pro…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
MemPrep, a new technology f…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
A tangible method to assess…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
Stem cell-derived vessels-o…
By newseditor
Posted 06 Apr
Single-cell biclustering fo…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Apr
Publications
Exploiting pancreatic cance…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
Structure of antiviral drug…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
Type-I-interferon-responsiv…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
Selenium, diabetes, and the…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
Long-term neuropsychologica…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar