Dean Rachel, Hurst Radke Nicole, Velupillai Nirudika, Franczak Brian C, Hamilton Trevor J
Department of Psychology, MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
PeerJ. 2021 Jan 15;9:e10566. doi: 10.7717/peerj.10566. eCollection 2021.
Aquatic organisms in pharmacology and toxicology research are often exposed to compounds in isolation prior to physiological or behavioural testing. Recent evidence suggests that the presence of conspecifics during a stressful event can modulate behavioural outcomes (called 'social buffering') when testing occurs within the same context. It is unknown, however, whether the social environment during exposure interacts with the efficacy of anxiety-altering substances when subsequently tested in the absence of conspecifics. In this study, zebrafish were individually exposed to habitat water or ethanol (1.0% vol/vol) while untreated conspecifics were visually present or absent during dosing. Using the novel object approach test, a validated test of boldness and anxiety-like behaviour, we observed significantly greater effects of ethanol in isolated fish, compared to fish with a view of conspecifics during dosing. These results were not explained by altered locomotion during exposure, which might otherwise increase drug uptake. This highlights the need to consider the social environment during exposure when conducting and interpreting behavioural research involving drug or toxicant exposure.
在药理学和毒理学研究中，水生生物在进行生理或行为测试之前，通常会被单独暴露于化合物中。最近的证据表明，在压力事件期间，当在相同环境中进行测试时，同种生物的存在可以调节行为结果（称为“社会缓冲”）。然而，尚不清楚暴露期间的社会环境在随后在没有同种生物的情况下进行测试时，是否会与改变焦虑的物质的功效相互作用。在本研究中，斑马鱼被单独暴露于栖息地水或乙醇（1.0%体积/体积）中，给药期间未处理的同种生物可视地存在或不存在。使用新颖物体接近测试（一种经过验证的大胆和类似焦虑行为的测试），我们观察到与给药期间能看到同种生物的鱼相比，乙醇对单独饲养的鱼的影响明显更大。这些结果不能用暴露期间运动的改变来解释，否则运动改变可能会增加药物吸收。这突出了在进行和解释涉及药物或毒物暴露的行为研究时，需要考虑暴露期间的社会环境。
