Developing zebrafish experimental animal models relevant to schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a severely debilitating, lifelong psychiatric disorder affecting approximately 1% of global population. The pathobiology of schizophrenia remains poorly understood, necessitating further translational research in this field. Experimental (animal) models are becoming indispensable for studying schizophrenia-related phenotypes and pro/antipsychotic drugs.

Modeling gut-brain interactions in zebrafish.

Mounting clinical and experimental evidence suggests the gut-brain interplay as a novel important paradigm in translational neuroscience, including the critical role for gut microbiota in modulating brain development and behavior, as well as neuroimmune and neuroendocrine responses. Animal models are an indispensable tool in studying the central nervous system (CNS) disorders and their mechanisms. Recently, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a powerful new model organism in neuroscience, including studying the gut-brain axis.

The role of intraspecies variation in fish neurobehavioral and neuropharmacological phenotypes in aquatic models.

Intraspecies variation is common in both clinical and animal research of various brain disorders. Relatively well-studied in mammals, intraspecies variation in aquatic fish models and its role in their behavioral and pharmacological responses remain poorly understood. Like humans and mammals, fishes show high variance of behavioral and drug-evoked responses, modulated both genetically and environmentally.

Understanding zebrafish aggressive behavior.

Aggression is a common agonistic behavior affecting social life and well-being of humans and animals. However, the underlying mechanisms of aggression remain poorly understood. For decades, studies of aggression have mostly focused on laboratory rodents.

Acute behavioral effects of deliriant hallucinogens atropine and scopolamine in adult zebrafish.

Atropine and scopolamine are classical muscarinic cholinergic antagonists that exert multiple CNS effects. Belonging to a group of deliriant hallucinogens, these drugs induce delirium-like hallucinations, hyperactivity, altered affective states and amnesia. However, as deliriants remain the least studied group of hallucinogens, their complex and poorly understood profiles necessitate further clinical and preclinical studies.

Zebrafish models for personalized psychiatry: Insights from individual, strain and sex differences, and modeling gene x environment interactions.

Currently becoming widely recognized, personalized psychiatry focuses on unique physiological and genetic profiles of patients to best tailor their therapy. However, the role of individual differences, as well as genetic and environmental factors, in human psychiatric disorders remains poorly understood. Animal experimental models are a valuable tool to improve our understanding of disease pathophysiology and its molecular mechanisms.

Understanding Central Nervous System Effects of Deliriant Hallucinogenic Drugs through Experimental Animal Models.

Hallucinogenic drugs potently alter human behavior and have a millennia-long history of use for medicinal and religious purposes. Interest is rapidly growing in their potential as CNS modulators and therapeutic agents for brain conditions. Antimuscarinic cholinergic drugs, such as atropine and scopolamine, induce characteristic hyperactivity and dream-like hallucinations and form a separate group of hallucinogens known as "deliriants".

Understanding the Role of Environmental Enrichment in Zebrafish Neurobehavioral Models.

Environmental stimuli are critical in preclinical research that utilizes laboratory animals to model human brain disorders. The main goal of environmental enrichment (EE) is to provide laboratory animals with better choice of activity and greater control over social and spatial stressors. Thus, in addition to being a useful experimental tool, EE becomes an important strategy for increasing the validity and reproducibility of preclinical data.

The Effects of Chronic Amitriptyline on Zebrafish Behavior and Monoamine Neurochemistry.

Amitriptyline is a commonly used tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) inhibiting serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake. The exact CNS action of TCAs remains poorly understood, necessitating new screening approaches and novel model organisms. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are rapidly emerging as a promising tool for pharmacological research of antidepressants, including amitriptyline.

Understanding antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) through preclinical experimental models.

Antidepressant drugs are currently one of the most prescribed medications. In addition to treatment resistance and side effects of antidepressants, their clinical use is further complicated by antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS). ADS is a common problem in patients following the interruption, dose reduction, or discontinuation of antidepressant drugs.

Zebrafish models relevant to studying central opioid and endocannabinoid systems.

The endocannabinoid and opioid systems are two interplaying neurotransmitter systems that modulate drug abuse, anxiety, pain, cognition, neurogenesis and immune activity. Although they are involved in such critical functions, our understanding of endocannabinoid and opioid physiology remains limited, necessitating further studies, novel models and new model organisms in this field. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is rapidly emerging as one of the most effective translational models in neuroscience and biological psychiatry.