Housing Conditions Differentially Affect Physiological and Behavioural Stress Responses of Zebrafish, as well as the Response to Anxiolytics

摘要: Zebrafish are a widely utilised animal model in developmental genetics, and owing to recent advances our understanding of zebrafish behaviour, their utility as comparative behavioural neuroscience is beginning be realised. One reported measure the novel tank-diving assay, which has been often cited test anxiety stress reactivity. Despite its wide utilisation, various validations against anxiolytic drugs, reporting pre-test housing sparse literature. As shoaling species, we predicted that environment would affect reactivity and, such, response procedure. In first experiment, tested aspects (large groups, large groups with no contact, paired, visual contact only, olfactory only) found tank diving was mediated by conspecifics. We also basal cortisol levels group individually housed fish, individuals have lower levels. second experiment ethanol appeared an effect fish but not those were housed. final examined effects changing fishes' water prior additional acclimation this had on typical responses individuals. conclusion, demonstrate represents important factor obtaining reliable data from methodology, should considered researchers interested models order refine approach increase power experiments.