Nicotine effects on learning in zebrafish: the role of dopaminergic systems

Rationale Nicotine improves cognitive function in a number of animal models including rats, mice, monkeys, and recently, zebrafish. The zebrafish model allows higher throughput and ease in discovering mechanisms of cognitive improvement. Materials and methods To further characterize the neural bases...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychopharmacology 2009, Vol.202 (1-3), p.103-109
Main Authors: Eddins, Donnie, Petro, Ann, Williams, Paul, Cerutti, Daniel T., Levin, Edward D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid - metabolism
Animal cognition
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Brain Chemistry - drug effects
Catecholamines - physiology
Cognition - drug effects
Conditioning, Operant - drug effects
Danio rerio
Dopamine - physiology
Fish
Freshwater
Learning - drug effects
Mecamylamine - pharmacology
Neurosciences
Neurotransmitter Agents - physiology
Nicotine
Nicotine - pharmacology
Nicotinic Agonists - pharmacology
Nicotinic Antagonists - pharmacology
Original Investigation
Pharmacology
Pharmacology/Toxicology
Psychiatry
Zebrafish - physiology
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Summary:Rationale Nicotine improves cognitive function in a number of animal models including rats, mice, monkeys, and recently, zebrafish. The zebrafish model allows higher throughput and ease in discovering mechanisms of cognitive improvement. Materials and methods To further characterize the neural bases of nicotine effects on learning in zebrafish, we determined changes in dopaminergic systems that accompany nicotine-enhanced learning. Results Nicotine improved learning and increased brain levels of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), the primary dopamine metabolite. There was a significant correlation between choice accuracy and DOPAC levels. The nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine blocked the nicotine-induced increase in DOPAC concentrations, in line with our previous finding that mecamylamine reversed nicotine-induced learning improvement. Conclusions Dopamine systems are related to learning in zebrafish; nicotine exposure increases both learning rates and DOPAC levels; and nicotinic antagonist administration blocks nicotine-induced rises in DOPAC concentrations. Rapid cognitive assessment of drugs with zebrafish could serve as a useful screening tool for the development of new therapeutics for cognitive dysfunction.
ISSN:0033-3158
1432-2072
DOI:10.1007/s00213-008-1287-4