| Title: | Behavioral characterization of the alarm reaction and anxiolytic-like effect of acute treatment with fluoxetine in piaucu fish |
| Author(s): | Barbosa Junior A; Alves FL; Pereira Ade S; Ide LM; Hoffmann A; |
| Address: | "Laboratory of Comparative Neurophysiology and Neuroanatomy, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP 14049-900, Brazil. augusto@rfi.fmrp.usp.br" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.10.007 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-507X (Electronic) 0031-9384 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In Ostariophysan fish, the detection of the alarm substance liberated into the water as a consequence of an attack by a predator elicits an alarm reaction or anti-predatory behavior. In this study, experiments were performed to: (i) describe and quantitatively characterize the behavioral and ventilatory responses in piaucu fish (Leporinus macrocephalus), individually and as part of a school, to conspecific alarm substance (CAS) and; (ii) test the effect of acute fluoxetine treatment on alarm reaction. Histological analysis revealed the presence of club cells in the intermediate and superficial layers of the epidermis. The predominant behavioral response to CAS was freezing for fish held individually, characterized by the cessation of the swimming activity as the animal settles to a bottom corner of the aquarium. Fish exposed to CAS showed decrease in the mean ventilatory frequency (approximately 13%) relative to control. In schools, CAS elicited a biphasic response that was characterized by erratic movements followed by increased school cohesion and immobility, reflected as an increased school cohesion (65.5% vs. -5.8% for controls) and in the number of animals near the bottom of the aquarium (42.0% vs. 6.5% for controls). Animals treated with single i.p. injections of fluoxetine (10 mug/g b.w.) did not exhibit alarm behavior following CAS stimulation. These results show that an alarm pheromone system is present in piaucu fish, evidenced by the presence of epidermal club cells and an alarm reaction induced by CAS and consequently of a chemosensory system to transmit the appropriate information to neural structures responsible for initiating anti-predator behavioral responses. In addition, fluoxetine treatment caused an anxiolytic-like effect following CAS exposure. Thus, the alarm reaction in piaucu can be a useful model for neuroethological and pharmacological studies of anxiety-related states" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Anti-Anxiety Agents/pharmacology/*therapeutic use Anxiety/*drug therapy/physiopathology Behavior, Animal/*drug effects Epidermis/anatomy & histology/drug effects/physiology Escape Reaction/*drug effects/physiology Fishes Fluoxetine/pharmacology/*t;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBarbosa Junior, Augusto Alves, Fabiana Luca Pereira, Aparecida de Sousa Fim Ide, Liliam Midori Hoffmann, Anette eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2011/11/01 Physiol Behav. 2012 Feb 1; 105(3):784-90. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.10.007. Epub 2011 Oct 12" |
