Scopolamine (hyoscine) is a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist that has traditionally been used to treat motion sickness in humans. However, studies investigating depressed and bipolar populations have found that scopolamine is also effective at reducing depression and anxiety symptoms. The potential anxiety-reducing (anxiolytic) effects of scopolamine could have great clinical implications for humans; however, rats and mice administered scopolamine showed increased anxiety in standard behavioural tests. This is in direct contrast to findings in humans, and complicates studies to elucidate the specific mechanisms of scopolamine action. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of zebrafish as a model system to test anxiety-like compounds using scopolamine. Similar to humans, scopolamine acted as an anxiolytic in individual behavioural tests (novel approach test and novel tank diving test). The anxiolytic effect of scopolamine was dose dependent and biphasic, reaching maximum effect at 800 µM. Scopolamine (800 µM) also had an anxiolytic effect in a group behavioural test, as it significantly decreased their tendency to shoal. These results establish zebrafish as a model organism for studying the anxiolytic effects of scopolamine, its mechanisms of action and side effects.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5678162 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15374-w | DOI Listing |
Dev Growth Differ
January 2025
Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan.
The usefulness of zebrafish for understanding the human nervous system is exemplified by the articles in part 1. The virtual special issue part 2 not only covers more work using this well-established species, but also highlights that other fish species may serve as alternative or more appropriate models, due to unique biological or evolutionary characteristics, to explore genetic and molecular mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxics
December 2024
Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
Developmental exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, has been linked to various toxic effects, including multigenerational behavioral impairment. While the specific mechanisms driving BaP neurotoxicity are not fully understood, recent work highlights two important determinants of developmental BaP neurotoxicity: (1) the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which induces host metabolism of BaP, and (2) the gut microbiome, which may interact with BaP to affect its metabolism, or be perturbed by BaP to disrupt the gut-brain axis. We utilized the zebrafish model to explore the role of AHR, the gut microbiome, and their interaction, on BaP-induced neurotoxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Sci
January 2025
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
Objective: In recent years, the use of zebrafish () as laboratory models has significantly increased. Ensuring their welfare is crucial, with the cognitive bias test emerging as a valuable tool to assess their emotional state. This systematic review examines the application of the cognitive bias test in zebrafish research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Drugs
January 2025
Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250103, China.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by uncontrolled, chronic relapsing inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract and has become a global healthcare problem. Here, we aimed to illustrate the anti-inflammatory activity and the underlying mechanism of methyl 3-bromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzoate (MBD), a compound derived from marine organisms, especially in IBD, using a zebrafish model. The results indicated that MBD could inhibit the inflammatory responses induced by CuSO, tail amputation and LPS in zebrafish.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCells
January 2025
Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
Peroxisomes are ubiquitous, dynamic, oxidative organelles with key functions in cellular lipid metabolism and redox homeostasis. They have been linked to healthy ageing, neurodegeneration, cancer, the combat of pathogens and viruses, and infection and immune responses. Their biogenesis relies on several peroxins (encoded by genes), which mediate matrix protein import, membrane assembly, and peroxisome multiplication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!