Using pERK immunostaining to quantify neuronal activity induced by stress in zebrafish larvae.

The larval zebrafish has emerged as a very useful model organism to study the neuronal circuits controlling neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to stress. This protocol describes how to expose zebrafish larvae to hyperosmotic stress and test whether candidate populations of neurons are activated or inhibited by the stressor using a relatively rapid immunofluorescence staining approach. This approach takes advantage of the phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) upon neuronal activation.

Hypothalamic Galanin-producing neurons regulate stress in zebrafish through a peptidergic, self-inhibitory loop.

Animals possess neuronal circuits inducing stress to avoid or cope with threats present in their surroundings, for instance, by promoting behaviors, such as avoidance and escape. However, mechanisms must exist to tightly control responses to stressors, since overactivation of stress circuits is deleterious for the wellbeing of an organism. The underlying neuronal dynamics responsible for controlling behavioral responses to stress have remained unclear.

Neuromodulation and Behavioral Flexibility in Larval Zebrafish: From Neurotransmitters to Circuits.

Animals adapt their behaviors to their ever-changing needs. Internal states, such as hunger, fear, stress, and arousal are important behavioral modulators controlling the way an organism perceives sensory stimuli and reacts to them. The translucent zebrafish larva is an ideal model organism for studying neuronal circuits regulating brain states, owning to the possibility of easy imaging and manipulating activity of genetically identified neurons while the animal performs stereotyped and well-characterized behaviors.

Early-Life Stress Regulates Cardiac Development through an IL-4-Glucocorticoid Signaling Balance.

Stressful experiences early in life can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, it remains largely unknown how stress influences susceptibility to the disease onset. Here, we show that exposure to brain-processed stress disrupts myocardial growth by reducing cardiomyocyte mitotic activity.

In Italy, healthy life expectancy drop dramatically: from 2004 to 2008 there was a 10 years drop among newborn girls.

Introduction: In this short essay, we would like to address a severe divergence observed in Italy between Life Expectancy (LE) and Healthy Life Expectancy (Healthy LE) and a unique trend of worsening in Healthy LE, compared to the other European countries. Both issues emerge in recent data by EUROSTAT Report.

Methods: The analysis used by the authors of the EUROSTAT report is based on Sullivan method which combines 2 type of variables: mortality and morbidity data.