title: Reversible loss of reproductive fitness in zebrafish on chronic alcohol exposure.
abstract: Alcoholism is one of the most prevalent diseases in society and causes significant health and social problems. Alcohol consumption by pregnant women is reported to cause adverse effects on the physical and psychological growth of the fetus. However, the direct effect of chronic alcohol consumption on reproductive fitness has not been tested. In recent years, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a versatile model system to study the effects of alcohol on behavior and embryonic development. We utilized the zebrafish model system to address the effect of chronic alcohol exposure (0.5% alcohol in the holding tank for 9 weeks) on reproductive capacity. We found a dramatic decrease in fecundity, measured by counting the number of eggs laid, when at least one of the parents is subject to chronic alcohol exposure. Interestingly, a 9-week alcohol withdrawal program completely restored the reproductive capacity of the treated subjects. In agreement with observations on fecundity, the chronic alcohol exposure leads to increased anxiety, as measured by the novel-tank diving assay. Conversely, the withdrawal program diminished heightened anxiety in alcohol-exposed subjects. Our results highlight the adverse effects of chronic alcohol exposure on the reproductive capacity of both males and females, and underscore the utility of the zebrafish model system to understand the biology of chronic alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India.
authors.forename: Pooran Singh
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Dewari
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India.
authors.forename: Funmilola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ajani
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India.
authors.forename: Gopal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kushawah
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India.
authors.forename: Damera Santhosh
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India. Electronic address: mishra@ccmb.res.in.
authors.forename: Rakesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Mishra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Alcohol; Anxiety; Chronic alcohol exposure; Fecundity; Zebrafish