title: Effects of Clove Oil as a Euthanasia Agent on Blood Collection Efficiency and Serum Cortisol Levels in Danio rerio.
abstract: Zebrafish are an important laboratory animal model for biomedical research and are increasingly being used for behavioral neuroscience. Tricaine methanesulfonate (MS222) is the standard agent used for euthanasia of zebrafish. However, recent studies of zebrafish behavior suggest that MS222 may be aversive, and clove oil might be a possible alternative. In this study, we compared the effects of MS222 or clove oil as a euthanasia agent in zebrafish on the volume of blood collected and on serum levels of cortisol. Greater amounts of serum could be collected and lower serum levels of cortisol were present in fish euthanized with clove oil compared with equipotent dose of MS222. Euthanasia with clove oil did not blunt the expected elevation of serum cortisol levels elicited by an acute premortem stress. According to our findings, clove oil is a fast-acting agent that minimizes the cortisol response to euthanasia in zebrafish and allows the collection of large volumes of blood postmortem. These results represent a significant refinement in euthanasia methods for zebrafish.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA; College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.
authors.forename: Jenna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klug
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hankins
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Holly M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Doerr
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Monticelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Ava
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA. haganc@missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Catherine H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Bryda
mesh_terms: D062365:Aminobenzoates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D045783:Clove Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D037901:Euthanasia, Animal; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D062365:Aminobenzoates; D000777:Anesthetics; D045783:Clove Oil; C003636:tricaine; D006854:Hydrocortisone