Alcohol Impairs Predation Risk Response and Communication in Zebrafish

Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-27T11:30:50Z No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2014-05-27T14:49:00Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 2-s2.0-84885042847.pdf: 1076440 bytes, checksum: d5552758635d7550b8da3cdc090d15e2 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-27T11:30:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-10-07 The effects of ethanol exposure on Danio rerio have been studied from the perspectives of developmental biology and behavior. However, little is known about the effects of ethanol on the prey-predator relationship and chemical communication of predation risk. Here, we showed that visual contact with a predator triggers stress axis activation in zebrafish. We also observed a typical stress response in zebrafish receiving water from these conspecifics, indicating that these fish chemically communicate predation risk. Our work is the first to demonstrate how alcohol effects this prey-predator interaction. We showed for the first time that alcohol exposure completely blocks stress axis activation in both fish seeing the predator and in fish that come in indirect contact with a predator by receiving water from these conspecifics. Together with other research results and with the translational relevance of this fish species, our data points to zebrafish as a promising animal model to study human alcoholism. © 2013 Oliveira et al. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioexperimentação Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó, Chapecó, SC Department of Physiology Bioscience Institute, Caunesp, Unesp, Botucau, SP Department of Physiology Bioscience Institute, Caunesp, Unesp, Botucau, SP