Schisandra chinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), has been used to treat sleep disorders. Zebrafish sleep/wake behavioral profiling provides a high-throughput platform to screen chemicals, but has never been ...Schisandra chinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), has been used to treat sleep disorders. Zebrafish sleep/wake behavioral profiling provides a high-throughput platform to screen chemicals, but has never been used to study extracts and components from TCM. In the present study, the ethanol extract of Schisandra chinensis and its two main lignin components, schisandrin and schisandrin B, were studied in zebrafish. We found that the ethanol extract had bidirectional improvement in rest and activity in zebrafish. Schisandrin and schisandrin B were both sedative and active components. We predicted that schisandrin was related to serotonin pathway and the enthanol extract of Schisandra chinensis was related to seoronin and domapine pathways using a database of zebrafish behaviors. These predictions were confirmed in experiments using Caenorhabditis elegans. In conclusion, zebrafish behavior profiling could be used as a high-throughput platform to screen neuroactive effects and predict molecular pathways of extracts and components from TCM.展开更多
Direct exposure to intensive visible light can lead to solar retinopathy, including macular injury. The signs and symptoms include central scotoma, metamorphopsia, and decreased vision. However, there have been few st...Direct exposure to intensive visible light can lead to solar retinopathy, including macular injury. The signs and symptoms include central scotoma, metamorphopsia, and decreased vision. However, there have been few studies examining retinal injury due to intensive light stimulation at the cellular level. Neural network arrangements and gene expression patterns in zebrafish photoreceptors are similar to those observed in humans, and photoreceptor injury in zebrafish can induce stem cell-based cellular regeneration. Therefore, the zebrafish retina is considered a useful model for studying photoreceptor injury in humans. In the current study, the central retinal photoreceptors of zebrafish were selectively ablated by stimulation with high-intensity light. Retinal injury, cell proliferation and regeneration of cones and rods were assessed at 1, 3 and 7 days post lesion with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Additionally, a light/dark box test was used to assess zebrafish behavior. The results revealed that photoreceptors were regenerated by 7 days after the light-induced injury. However, the regenerated cells showed a disrupted arrangement at the lesion site. During the injury-regeneration process, the zebrafish exhibited reduced locomotor capacity, weakened phototaxis and increased movement angular velocity. These behaviors matched the morphological changes of retinal injury and regeneration in a number of ways. This study demonstrates that the zebrafish retina has a robust capacity for regeneration. Visual impairment and stress responses following high-intensity light stimulation appear to contribute to the alteration of behaviors.展开更多
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of Rongchang capsule and Xifeng capsule on pentylenetetrazoleinduced epilepsy in zebrafish larvae and to explore the possible mechanisms behind their actions.METHODS:We utilized a tra...OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of Rongchang capsule and Xifeng capsule on pentylenetetrazoleinduced epilepsy in zebrafish larvae and to explore the possible mechanisms behind their actions.METHODS:We utilized a trajectory tracking system to monitor seizures in zebrafish larva to confirm that certain concentrations of Rongchang capsule and Xifeng capsule produce antiepileptic effects.c-fos expression was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to validate the efficacy of the capsules.Rest/wake behavior and correlation analysis predicted the targets of Rongchang capsule and Xifeng capsule.RESULTS:Larval movement times and total distances traveled by zebrafish larvae experiencing pentylenetetrazole(PTZ)-induced seizures were decreasedbyvalproatetreatment.Rongchang(500μg/m L)and Xifeng(200μg/m L)rescued the epileptic behaviors and down-regulated c-fos expression in the brains of larvae,which indicated antiepileptic effects.The rest/wake behavioral profiles showed that Rongchang and Xifeng differentially decreased rest time at night and increased larval locomotor activities during the day.Based on correlation between the actions of the two capsules and known compounds,we predicted that they might change rest/wake behaviors by affecting serotonin,GABAergic and histamine signaling pathways.CONCLUSION:The efficacy of Rongchang capsule and Xifeng capsule in alleviating epilepsy-like behaviors and molecular responses was confirmed.Our study provides insight into the capsules'effect on epilepsy.展开更多
Neuroscience researchers that wish to address compelling questions in psychopharmacology would benefit from the use of zebrafish, which have a behavioral repertoire that is rich and complex and that reflects many fund...Neuroscience researchers that wish to address compelling questions in psychopharmacology would benefit from the use of zebrafish, which have a behavioral repertoire that is rich and complex and that reflects many fundamental processes in humans, such as those that evoke anxiety. Zebrafish behavior is easily quantified in diverse test environments, but it is important to consider the conditions used to house the fish, prior to the behavioral testing, when designing experiments. Studies show that fish housed at high densities exhibit elevated cortisol levels as compared with fish housed at lower densities. The literature is less clear about the behavioral consequences of housing and handling. We examined the effects of housing (group versus paired) on several behavioral parameters. We observed that group-housed fish exhibited an anxious phenotype as evidenced by tank diving and meandering. Other more general indicators of movement and spatial navigation were unaffected by housing. This study focused on two specific housing environments, and the results support the need for continued research in this area to further elucidate the contributions of housing and handling on the subtleties of zebrafish behavioral markers.展开更多
Brain developmental disorders in humans, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Down’s syndrome, have been linked to increased serotonin levels. This work was designed to study changes in serotonin levels in t...Brain developmental disorders in humans, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Down’s syndrome, have been linked to increased serotonin levels. This work was designed to study changes in serotonin levels in the early stages of development with two classes of antipsychotic drugs: Risperidone, a drug that blocks serotonin and dopamine receptors, and fluoxetine, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. The use of antipsychotic drugs is a solid choice to study the decrease and increase of these neurotransmitters and their influence on development. The study of these parameters will give an idea of the effects of serotonin in early developmental stages. To this end, we examined the effects of risperidone and fluoxetine on the locomotor activity, heart rate and brain development of zebrafish larvae. Our results showed that in larvae exposed to fluoxetine alone, swimming was significantly increased at 9 dpf (days post-fertilization). Erratic and abnormal movements were observed suggesting a toxic effect of fluoxetine. No erratic swimming was observed in larvae treated with fluoxetine plus risperidone. Both drugs presented morphological changes in dopaminergic neurons and mononeurons. Exposure to fluoxetine plus risperidone indicated possible reversal effects. Studies in zebrafish allow obtaining new insights into the side effects of these drugs as well as into the brain control of locomotor activity. Testing several drug-induced changes in behavior and serotonin levels is one of the experimental approaches for screening a new therapeutically relevant compound, and thus, merits further research.展开更多
基金supported by Guangzhou Clinical Research and Translational Centre for Major Neurological Diseases(No.201604020010)Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(No.2015A030310255)
文摘Schisandra chinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), has been used to treat sleep disorders. Zebrafish sleep/wake behavioral profiling provides a high-throughput platform to screen chemicals, but has never been used to study extracts and components from TCM. In the present study, the ethanol extract of Schisandra chinensis and its two main lignin components, schisandrin and schisandrin B, were studied in zebrafish. We found that the ethanol extract had bidirectional improvement in rest and activity in zebrafish. Schisandrin and schisandrin B were both sedative and active components. We predicted that schisandrin was related to serotonin pathway and the enthanol extract of Schisandra chinensis was related to seoronin and domapine pathways using a database of zebrafish behaviors. These predictions were confirmed in experiments using Caenorhabditis elegans. In conclusion, zebrafish behavior profiling could be used as a high-throughput platform to screen neuroactive effects and predict molecular pathways of extracts and components from TCM.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81301080,81671179the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China,No.63161215the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin of China,No.15JCYBJC24400,15JCQNJC10900
文摘Direct exposure to intensive visible light can lead to solar retinopathy, including macular injury. The signs and symptoms include central scotoma, metamorphopsia, and decreased vision. However, there have been few studies examining retinal injury due to intensive light stimulation at the cellular level. Neural network arrangements and gene expression patterns in zebrafish photoreceptors are similar to those observed in humans, and photoreceptor injury in zebrafish can induce stem cell-based cellular regeneration. Therefore, the zebrafish retina is considered a useful model for studying photoreceptor injury in humans. In the current study, the central retinal photoreceptors of zebrafish were selectively ablated by stimulation with high-intensity light. Retinal injury, cell proliferation and regeneration of cones and rods were assessed at 1, 3 and 7 days post lesion with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Additionally, a light/dark box test was used to assess zebrafish behavior. The results revealed that photoreceptors were regenerated by 7 days after the light-induced injury. However, the regenerated cells showed a disrupted arrangement at the lesion site. During the injury-regeneration process, the zebrafish exhibited reduced locomotor capacity, weakened phototaxis and increased movement angular velocity. These behaviors matched the morphological changes of retinal injury and regeneration in a number of ways. This study demonstrates that the zebrafish retina has a robust capacity for regeneration. Visual impairment and stress responses following high-intensity light stimulation appear to contribute to the alteration of behaviors.
基金Supported by the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation of China:In situ microscopic Analysis and manipulator for Life Science(No.61327802)the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation of China:Functional Nanoparticle Drug Vector for Zebrafish Development and Biocompatible Assessmen(No.81501589)+3 种基金the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation of China:Development of a cross-scale fast AFM system for life science(No.61127006)the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation of China:Study on the Method of Automatic Nano-manipulation for Cell-Oriented Accurate Displacement(No.61633012)the Tianjin Science Technology Research Funds of China:the function of Rab23 gene in zebrafish development(No.14JCQNJC09600)the National Basic Research Program of China:The Basic and Frontier of the New Topological Structure of the Molecular-based Functional Carbon Materials(No.2015CB856500)
文摘OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of Rongchang capsule and Xifeng capsule on pentylenetetrazoleinduced epilepsy in zebrafish larvae and to explore the possible mechanisms behind their actions.METHODS:We utilized a trajectory tracking system to monitor seizures in zebrafish larva to confirm that certain concentrations of Rongchang capsule and Xifeng capsule produce antiepileptic effects.c-fos expression was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to validate the efficacy of the capsules.Rest/wake behavior and correlation analysis predicted the targets of Rongchang capsule and Xifeng capsule.RESULTS:Larval movement times and total distances traveled by zebrafish larvae experiencing pentylenetetrazole(PTZ)-induced seizures were decreasedbyvalproatetreatment.Rongchang(500μg/m L)and Xifeng(200μg/m L)rescued the epileptic behaviors and down-regulated c-fos expression in the brains of larvae,which indicated antiepileptic effects.The rest/wake behavioral profiles showed that Rongchang and Xifeng differentially decreased rest time at night and increased larval locomotor activities during the day.Based on correlation between the actions of the two capsules and known compounds,we predicted that they might change rest/wake behaviors by affecting serotonin,GABAergic and histamine signaling pathways.CONCLUSION:The efficacy of Rongchang capsule and Xifeng capsule in alleviating epilepsy-like behaviors and molecular responses was confirmed.Our study provides insight into the capsules'effect on epilepsy.
文摘Neuroscience researchers that wish to address compelling questions in psychopharmacology would benefit from the use of zebrafish, which have a behavioral repertoire that is rich and complex and that reflects many fundamental processes in humans, such as those that evoke anxiety. Zebrafish behavior is easily quantified in diverse test environments, but it is important to consider the conditions used to house the fish, prior to the behavioral testing, when designing experiments. Studies show that fish housed at high densities exhibit elevated cortisol levels as compared with fish housed at lower densities. The literature is less clear about the behavioral consequences of housing and handling. We examined the effects of housing (group versus paired) on several behavioral parameters. We observed that group-housed fish exhibited an anxious phenotype as evidenced by tank diving and meandering. Other more general indicators of movement and spatial navigation were unaffected by housing. This study focused on two specific housing environments, and the results support the need for continued research in this area to further elucidate the contributions of housing and handling on the subtleties of zebrafish behavioral markers.
文摘Brain developmental disorders in humans, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Down’s syndrome, have been linked to increased serotonin levels. This work was designed to study changes in serotonin levels in the early stages of development with two classes of antipsychotic drugs: Risperidone, a drug that blocks serotonin and dopamine receptors, and fluoxetine, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. The use of antipsychotic drugs is a solid choice to study the decrease and increase of these neurotransmitters and their influence on development. The study of these parameters will give an idea of the effects of serotonin in early developmental stages. To this end, we examined the effects of risperidone and fluoxetine on the locomotor activity, heart rate and brain development of zebrafish larvae. Our results showed that in larvae exposed to fluoxetine alone, swimming was significantly increased at 9 dpf (days post-fertilization). Erratic and abnormal movements were observed suggesting a toxic effect of fluoxetine. No erratic swimming was observed in larvae treated with fluoxetine plus risperidone. Both drugs presented morphological changes in dopaminergic neurons and mononeurons. Exposure to fluoxetine plus risperidone indicated possible reversal effects. Studies in zebrafish allow obtaining new insights into the side effects of these drugs as well as into the brain control of locomotor activity. Testing several drug-induced changes in behavior and serotonin levels is one of the experimental approaches for screening a new therapeutically relevant compound, and thus, merits further research.
