Role of serotonin in zebrafish (Danio rerio) anxiety: Relationship with serotonin levels and effect of buspirone, WAY 100635, SB 224289, fluoxetine and para-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA) in two behavioral models

• Published in: Neuropharmacology 2013-08, Vol.71, p.83-97
• Main Authors: Maximino, Caio, Puty, Bruna, Benzecry, Rancés, Araújo, Juliana, Lima, Monica Gomes, de Jesus Oliveira Batista, Evander, Renata de Matos Oliveira, Karen, Crespo-Lopez, Maria Elena, Herculano, Anderson Manoel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Anxiety Agents - adverse effects; Anti-Anxiety Agents - therapeutic use; Anxiety; Anxiety - chemically induced; Anxiety - drug therapy; Anxiety - metabolism; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Buspirone - administration & dosage; Buspirone - adverse effects; Buspirone - therapeutic use; Danio rerio; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Extracellular Fluid - drug effects; Extracellular Fluid - metabolism; Fear; Fenclonine - administration & dosage; Fenclonine - adverse effects; Fenclonine - therapeutic use; Fluoxetine - administration & dosage; Fluoxetine - adverse effects; Fluoxetine - therapeutic use; Freshwater; Geotaxis; Hyperkinesis - chemically induced; Hyperkinesis - metabolism; Nerve Tissue Proteins - agonists; Nerve Tissue Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - metabolism; Piperazines - administration & dosage; Piperazines - adverse effects; Piperazines - therapeutic use; Piperidones - administration & dosage; Piperidones - adverse effects; Piperidones - therapeutic use; Protein Isoforms - agonists; Protein Isoforms - antagonists & inhibitors; Protein Isoforms - metabolism; Pyridines - administration & dosage; Pyridines - adverse effects; Pyridines - therapeutic use; Scototaxis; Serotonin; Serotonin - chemistry; Serotonin - metabolism; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Agonists - administration & dosage; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Agonists - adverse effects; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Agonists - therapeutic use; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Antagonists - administration & dosage; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Antagonists - adverse effects; Serotonin 5-HT1 Receptor Antagonists - therapeutic use; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - adverse effects; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Spiro Compounds - administration & dosage; Spiro Compounds - adverse effects; Spiro Compounds - therapeutic use; Zebrafish
• ISSN: 0028-3908; 1873-7064
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.03.006

Serotonin (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter that is involved in many behavioral functions, including the organization of defense, and its putative pathological correlate, anxiety and stress disorders. Recently, behavioral tests for anxiety have been proposed in zebrafish. Exposure to the novel tank test or to the light/dark test increased extracellular fluid 5-HT content in the brain; anxiety-like behavior correlated positively with 5-HT content in the novel tank test, while the correlation was negative in the light/dark test. Acute treatment with a low dose of fluoxetine was anxiolytic in the geotaxis test and anxiogenic in the scototaxis test, while treatment with a higher dose produced a hyperlocomotor effect in both tasks. Buspirone and WAY 100635 were anxiolytic in both tests, while SB 224289 was anxiolytic in the geotaxis and slightly anxiogenic in the scototaxis test. Serotonin depletion with pCPA was anxiogenic in the geotaxis and anxiolytic in scototaxis. These results underline the differential sensitivity of these tasks to assess serotonergic agents; alternatively, serotonin might regulate zebrafish behavior differently in the novel tank test and in the light/dark test. •Exposure to anxiogenic contexts increased ECF 5-HT in zebrafish.•Geotaxis correlated positively with 5-HT, while scototaxis correlated negatively.•Fluoxetine decreased geotaxis and increased scototaxis; pCPA had a opposite result.•Buspirone and WAY 100635 were anxiolytic in both tests.•SB 224289 was anxiolytic in the geotaxis and slightly anxiogenic in the scototaxis test.