The utility of zebrafish to study the mechanisms by which ethanol affects social behavior and anxiety during early brain development

摘要: Abstract Exposure to moderate levels of ethanol during brain development has a number effects on social behavior but the molecular mechanisms that mediate this are not well understood. Gaining better understanding these factors may help develop therapeutic interventions in future. Zebrafish offer potentially useful model regard. Here, we introduce zebrafish prenatal exposure. Embryos were exposed 20 mM for seven days (48hpf–9dpf) and tested as adults individual shoaling. We also their basal anxiety with novel tank diving test. found ethanol-exposed fish displayed reductions approach shoaling, an increase These behavioral differences corresponded hrt1aa , slc6a4 oxtr expression. Namely, acute caused spike ht1aa mRNA expression, which was followed by down-regulation at 7dpf, up-regulation 72hpf. This study confirms utility system studying basis developmental Furthermore, it proposes putative mechanism characterized ethanol-induced OT inhibition leading suppression 5-HT 1A leads, turn, possible homeostatic 5-HTT 72hpf subsequent imbalance system.