title: Modulatory action of taurine on ethanol-induced aggressive behavior in zebrafish.
abstract: Alcohol is a potent agent for eliciting aggression in vertebrates. Taurine (TAU) is an amino sulfonic acid with pleiotropic actions on brain function. It is one of the most abundant molecules present in energy drinks frequently used as mixers for alcoholic beverages. However, the combined effects of TAU and ethanol (EtOH) on behavioral parameters such as aggression are poorly understood. Considering that zebrafish is a suitable vertebrate to assess agonistic behaviors using noninvasive protocols, we investigate whether TAU modulates EtOH-induced aggression in zebrafish using the mirror-induced aggression (MIA) test. Since body color can be altered by pharmacological agents and may be indicative of emotional state, we also evaluated the actions of EtOH and TAU on pigment response. Fish were acutely exposed to TAU (42, 150, and 400mg/L), EtOH (0.25%), or cotreated with both molecules for 1h and then placed in the test apparatus for 6min. EtOH, TAU 42, TAU 400, TAU 42/EtOH and TAU 400/EtOH showed increased aggression, while 150mg/L TAU only increased the latency to attack the mirror. This same concentration also prevented EtOH-induced aggression, suggesting that it antagonizes the effects of acute alcohol exposure. Representative ethograms revealed the existence of different aggressive patterns and our results were confirmed by an index used to estimate aggression in the MIA test. TAU did not alter pigment intensity, while EtOH and all cotreated groups presented a substantial increase in body color. Overall, these data show a biphasic effect of TAU on EtOH-induced aggression of zebrafish, which is not necessarily associated with changes in body color.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuropsicobiologia Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Barbara D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuropsicobiologia Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniele L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Meinerz
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuropsicobiologia Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Vinícius C
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuropsicobiologia Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nathana J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Mezzomo
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuropsicobiologia Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuropsicobiologia Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giulie S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuropsicobiologia Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Quadros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Biomédica, Centro de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, Avenida Senador Salgado Filho, 300, 59078-970 Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gilvan L B
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuropsicobiologia Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA. Electronic address: dbrosemberg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Denis B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Rosemberg
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D013654:Taurine; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Aggression; Ethanol; Mirror-induced aggression test; Taurine; Zebrafish