Steele W Baylor, Mole Rachel A, Brooks Bryan W
Department of Environmental Science, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University; Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University.
Department of Environmental Science, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University.
J Vis Exp. 2018 Jul 24(137):57938. doi: 10.3791/57938.
Fish models and behaviors are increasingly used in the biomedical sciences; however, fish have long been the subject of ecological, physiological and toxicological studies. Using automated digital tracking platforms, recent efforts in neuropharmacology are leveraging larval fish locomotor behaviors to identify potential therapeutic targets for novel small molecules. Similar to these efforts, research in the environmental sciences and comparative pharmacology and toxicology is examining various behaviors of fish models as diagnostic tools in tiered evaluation of contaminants and real-time monitoring of surface waters for contaminant threats. Whereas the zebrafish is a popular larval fish model in the biomedical sciences, the fathead minnow is a common larval fish model in ecotoxicology. Unfortunately, fathead minnow larvae have received considerably less attention in behavioral studies. Here, we develop and demonstrate a behavioral profile protocol using caffeine as a model neurostimulant. Though photomotor responses of fathead minnows were occasionally affected by caffeine, zebrafish were markedly more sensitive for photomotor and locomotor endpoints, which responded at environmentally relevant levels. Future studies are needed to understand comparative behavioral sensitivity differences among fish with age and time of day, and to determine whether similar behavioral effects would occur in nature and be indicative of adverse outcomes at the individual or population levels of biological organization.
鱼类模型和行为在生物医学科学中的应用越来越广泛；然而，鱼类长期以来一直是生态、生理和毒理学研究的对象。利用自动化数字跟踪平台，神经药理学领域的最新研究正在利用幼鱼的运动行为来识别新型小分子的潜在治疗靶点。与这些研究类似，环境科学以及比较药理学和毒理学领域的研究正在将鱼类模型的各种行为作为污染物分层评估和地表水污染物威胁实时监测的诊断工具。斑马鱼是生物医学科学中常用的幼鱼模型，而黑头呆鱼是生态毒理学中常见的幼鱼模型。不幸的是，黑头呆鱼幼鱼在行为研究中受到的关注要少得多。在此，我们开发并展示了一种以咖啡因作为模型神经兴奋剂的行为特征分析方案。虽然黑头呆鱼的光运动反应偶尔会受到咖啡因的影响，但斑马鱼对光运动和运动终点的反应明显更敏感，在环境相关浓度下就会出现反应。未来的研究需要了解不同年龄和一天中不同时间的鱼类之间的比较行为敏感性差异，并确定在自然环境中是否会出现类似的行为效应，以及这些效应是否表明在生物组织的个体或种群水平上出现了不良后果。
