Taurine modulates acute ethanol-induced social behavioral deficits and fear responses in adult zebrafish
Publication date: Available online 3 August 2018Source: Journal of Psychiatric ResearchAuthor(s): Barbara D. Fontana, Flavia V. Stefanello, Nathana J. Mezzomo, Talise E. Müller, Vanessa A. Quadros, Matthew O. Parker, Eduardo P. Rico, Denis B. RosembergAbstractEthanol (EtOH) is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant drug that modifies various behavioral domains (e.g., sociability, aggressiveness, and memory) by promoting disinhibition of punished operant behavior and neurochemical changes. Taurine (TAU) is a β-amino sulfonic acid with pleiotropic roles in the brain. Although exogenous TAU is found in energy drinks and often mixed with alcohol in beverages, the putative risks of mixing TAU and EtOH are poorly explored. Here, we investigated whether TAU modulates social and fear responses by assessing shoaling behavior, preference for conspecifics and antipredatory behavior of adult zebrafish acutely exposed to EtOH. Zebrafish shoals (4 fish per shoal) were exposed to water (control), TAU (42, 150, and 400 mg/L), 0.25% (v/v) EtOH alone or in association for 1 h, and their behaviors were analyzed at different time intervals (0–5 min, 30–35 min, and 55–60 min). The effects of TAU and EtOH were further tested in a social preference test and during exposure to a predator. Both EtOH and TAU co-treated fish showed a higher shoal dispersion, while TAU 400/EtOH group shoal area had a similar profile when compared to control. However, in the social preference test, T...
Source: Journal of Psychiatric Research - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research