Behav Brain Res：斑马鱼研究有助更好理解精神疾病

近日，一项最新研究发现鱼在不同环境下可以改变它们的行为，以应对环境的变化。

伦敦大学科学家已经证明斑马鱼可以用来研究精神疾病，以找出这种疾病的发病根源。

这项研究发表在Behavioural Brain Research杂志，研究人员发现斑马鱼在不同环境情况下会改变自身行为。

生物和化学科学部Caroline Brennan医生领导了这项研究，她说：斑马鱼正在成为研究许多精神疾病的遗传机制的最有用的动物模型之一，斑马鱼繁殖力强，许多新的令人兴奋的科学技术让我们在实验室就能探索斑马鱼的基因构成。

科学家们让15条斑马鱼通过一系列涉及颜色选择的实验，测试斑马鱼与精神疾病相关的行为。

鱼被给予两种颜色以供选择，斑马鱼会慢慢学会选择能给它们带来食物的颜色。当颜色改变时，即斑马鱼发现选择某一种颜色不会有食物时，它们的选择会有所改变，学会重新选择颜色。

然后，科学家运用了一套新的颜色，并重新重复这一实验过程。斑马鱼能够相应地改变自己选择颜色的行为，其改变的速度远远超过原来科学家设想的速度。

我们的研究结果表明，有可能在未来，斑马鱼可能是一个有用的模型来研究这些疾病的发病机制和预测疾病的预后情况。（生物谷：Bioon.com）

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2011.10.037
PMC:
PMID:

Development and implementation of a three-choice serial reaction time task for zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Matthew O. Parker, Mollie E. Millington, Fraser J. Combe, Caroline H. Brennan

Zebrafish are an established and widely utilized developmental genetic model system, but limitations in developed behavioral assays have meant that their potential as a model in behavioral neuroscience has yet to be fully realized. Here, we describe the development of a novel operant behavioral assay to examine a variety of aspects of stimulus control in zebrafish using a 3 choice serial reaction time task (3 CSRTT). Fish were briefly exposed to three spatially distinct, but perceptually identical stimuli, presented in a random order after a fixed-time inter-trial interval (ITI). Entries to the correct response aperture either during the stimulus presentation, or within a brief limited hold period following presentation, were reinforced with illumination of the magazine light and delivery of a small food reward. Following training, premature responding was probed with a long-ITI session three times; once at baseline, once following a saline injection and once following an injection of a low dose of amphetamine (AMPH; 0.025 mg/kg). We predicted that if premature responding was related to impulsivity (as in rodents) it would be reduced following the AMPH injection. Results confirmed that zebrafish could learn to perform a complex operant task similar to tasks developed for rodents which are used to probe sustained attention and impulsivity, but the results from the AMPH trials were inconclusive. This study provides the foundations for development and further validation of this species as a model for some aspects of human attentional and impulse control disorders, such as substance abuse disorder.