title: Behavioral effects of MDMA ('ecstasy') on adult zebrafish.
abstract: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') is a potent psychedelic drug inducing euphoria and hypersociability in humans, as well as hyperactivity and anxiety in rodents. Adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) have become a widely used species in neurobehavioral research. Here, we explore the effects of a wide range (0.25-120 mg/l) of acute MDMA doses on zebrafish behavior in the novel tank test. Although MDMA was inactive at lower doses (0.25-10 mg/l), higher doses reduced bottom swimming and immobility (40-120 mg/l) and impaired intrasession habituation (10-120 mg/l). MDMA also elevated brain c-fos expression, collectively confirming the usage of zebrafish models for screening of hallucinogenic compounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane Neurophenotyping Platform and Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium, Tulane University Medical School, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riehl
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cosgrove
authors.forename: Karoly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vollmer
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kyzar
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allain
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cachat
authors.forename: Siddharth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaikwad
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hook
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rhymes
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Utterback
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Allan V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kalueff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000032:analysis; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine