title: Alcohol impairs predation risk response and communication in zebrafish.
abstract: The effects of ethanol exposure on Danio rerio have been studied from the perspectives of developmental biology and behavior. However, little is known about the effects of ethanol on the prey-predator relationship and chemical communication of predation risk. Here, we showed that visual contact with a predator triggers stress axis activation in zebrafish. We also observed a typical stress response in zebrafish receiving water from these conspecifics, indicating that these fish chemically communicate predation risk. Our work is the first to demonstrate how alcohol effects this prey-predator interaction. We showed for the first time that alcohol exposure completely blocks stress axis activation in both fish seeing the predator and in fish that come in indirect contact with a predator by receiving water from these conspecifics. Together with other research results and with the translational relevance of this fish species, our data points to zebrafish as a promising animal model to study human alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Acosta
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Gessi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koakoski
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Kreutz
authors.forename: Daiane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: João Gabriel Santos
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: da Rosa
authors.forename: Murilo Sander
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: de Abreu
authors.forename: Ana Cristina Vendrametto
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Giacomini
authors.forename: Ricardo Pimentel
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fagundes
authors.forename: Angelo Luis
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Piato
authors.forename: Rodrigo Egydio
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Leonardo José Gil
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Barcellos
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D006854:Hydrocortisone