Timing of Nicotine Effects on Learning in Zebrafish

Overview

Journal Psychopharmacology (Berl)

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2005 Sep 22

PMID 16175402

Citations 42

Authors

Edward D Levin

Joy Limpuangthip

Tara Rachakonda

Miram Peterson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Rationale: Nicotine has been shown in many, but not all, studies to improve cognitive function in a number of species including rats, mice, monkeys, and humans. Recently, we have found that nicotine also improves memory in zebrafish. Nicotinic agonists are being developed as novel treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive impairments.

Objectives: In screening the therapeutic potential of novel nicotinic agonists, it is important to have a rapid assay of cognitive improvement. Zebrafish can help with this effort.

Methods: We have developed a method of rapidly assessing spatial position discrimination learning in zebrafish in one session of seven trials. We used this method to determine the cognitive effects of nicotine.

Results: Nicotine (100 mg/l administered during 3 min of immersion) caused a significant improvement in percent correct performance. This dose was within the effective range we found to improve the choice accuracy performance of zebrafish using the more time-intensive delayed spatial alternation procedure. Interestingly, the positive effect of nicotine was seen at 20-40 min postadministration, but not earlier, and declined at 80 and 160 min posttreatment. At the 40-min postdosing interval, 200 mg/l nicotine was also found to significantly improve choice accuracy. Nicotine-induced accuracy improvement was reversed by the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine given shortly before testing but not when given concurrently with nicotine.

Conclusions: This position discrimination procedure in zebrafish effectively demonstrated the cognitive-enhancing effects of nicotine. This model may be useful in the early screening of novel nicotinic compounds for treatment of cognitive dysfunction.

Citing Articles

Neonicotinoid Imidacloprid Affects the Social Behavior of Adult Zebrafish by Damaging Telencephalon Neurons through Oxidation Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis.

Chung K, Chen L, Tseng H, Wu C Life (Basel). 2023; 13(6).

PMID: 37374200 PMC: 10304127. DOI: 10.3390/life13061418.

A gelatin-based feed for precise and non-invasive drug delivery to adult zebrafish.

Ochocki A, Kenney J J Exp Biol. 2023; 226(2).

PMID: 36606734 PMC: 10165467. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245186.

Zebrafish: A Pharmacological Model for Learning and Memory Research.

Tan J, Nazar F, Makpol S, Teoh S Molecules. 2022; 27(21).

PMID: 36364200 PMC: 9657833. DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217374.

Exploring Neurobehaviour in Zebrafish Embryos as a Screening Model for Addictiveness of Substances.

Havermans A, Zwart E, Cremers H, van Schijndel M, Constant R, Meskovic M Toxics. 2021; 9(10).

PMID: 34678946 PMC: 8539716. DOI: 10.3390/toxics9100250.

Anxiolytic, Promnesic, Anti-Acetylcholinesterase and Antioxidant Effects of Cotinine and 6-Hydroxy-L-Nicotine in Scopolamine-Induced Zebrafish () Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Boiangiu R, Mihasan M, Gorgan D, Stache B, Hritcu L Antioxidants (Basel). 2021; 10(2).

PMID: 33535660 PMC: 7912787. DOI: 10.3390/antiox10020212.

References

Loucks E, Carvan 3rd M . Strain-dependent effects of developmental ethanol exposure in zebrafish. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2004; 26(6):745-55. DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2004.06.017. View

Buccafusco J, Jackson W . Beneficial effects of nicotine administered prior to a delayed matching-to-sample task in young and aged monkeys. Neurobiol Aging. 1991; 12(3):233-8. DOI: 10.1016/0197-4580(91)90102-p. View

Rozin P . TEMPERATURE INDEPENDENCE OF AN ARBITRARY TEMPORAL DISCRIMINATION IN THE GOLDFISH. Science. 1965; 149(3683):561-3. DOI: 10.1126/science.149.3683.561. View

Gentry C, Lukas R . Regulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor numbers and function by chronic nicotine exposure. Curr Drug Targets CNS Neurol Disord. 2003; 1(4):359-85. DOI: 10.2174/1568007023339184. View

Newhouse P, Potter A, Levin E . Nicotinic system involvement in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Implications for therapeutics. Drugs Aging. 1997; 11(3):206-28. DOI: 10.2165/00002512-199711030-00005. View

Levin E, Simon B . Nicotinic acetylcholine involvement in cognitive function in animals. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1998; 138(3-4):217-30. DOI: 10.1007/s002130050667. View

Kaethner R, Stuermer C . Dynamics of process formation during differentiation of tectal neurons in embryonic zebrafish. J Neurobiol. 1997; 32(6):627-39. View

Ochoa E, Chattopadhyay A, McNamee M . Desensitization of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: molecular mechanisms and effect of modulators. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 1989; 9(2):141-78. PMC: 11567434. DOI: 10.1007/BF00713026. View

Yin R, French E . A comparison of the effects of nicotine on dopamine and non-dopamine neurons in the rat ventral tegmental area: an in vitro electrophysiological study. Brain Res Bull. 2000; 51(6):507-14. DOI: 10.1016/s0361-9230(00)00237-9. View

10.

Buccafusco J, Jackson W, Terry Jr A, Marsh K, Decker M, Arneric S . Improvement in performance of a delayed matching-to-sample task by monkeys following ABT-418: a novel cholinergic channel activator for memory enhancement. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1995; 120(3):256-66. DOI: 10.1007/BF02311172. View

11.

Levin E, Chen E . Nicotinic involvement in memory function in zebrafish. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2004; 26(6):731-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2004.06.010. View

12.

Behrend E, Bitterman M . AVOIDANCE-CONDITIONING IN THE FISH: FURTHER STUDIES OF THE CS-US INTERVAL. Am J Psychol. 1964; 77:15-28. View

13.

Levin E, Torry D, Christopher N, Yu X, Einstein G, Schwartz-Bloom R . Is binding to nicotinic acetylcholine and dopamine receptors related to working memory in rats?. Brain Res Bull. 1997; 43(3):295-304. DOI: 10.1016/s0361-9230(97)00009-9. View

14.

Newhouse P, Kelton M . Nicotinic systems in central nervous systems disease: degenerative disorders and beyond. Pharm Acta Helv. 2000; 74(2-3):91-101. DOI: 10.1016/s0031-6865(99)00047-3. View

15.

Reimers M, Flockton A, Tanguay R . Ethanol- and acetaldehyde-mediated developmental toxicity in zebrafish. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2004; 26(6):769-81. DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2004.06.012. View

16.

Welzl H, Alessandri B, Oettinger R, Batig K . The effects of long-term nicotine treatment on locomotion, exploration and memory in young and old rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1988; 96(3):317-23. DOI: 10.1007/BF00216057. View

17.

Levin E, Rezvani A . Nicotinic treatment for cognitive dysfunction. Curr Drug Targets CNS Neurol Disord. 2003; 1(4):423-31. DOI: 10.2174/1568007023339102. View

18.

Levin E, Tizabi Y, Rezvani A, Caldwell D, Petro A, Getachew B . Chronic nicotine and dizocilpine effects on regionally specific nicotinic and NMDA glutamate receptor binding. Brain Res. 2005; 1041(2):132-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2005.01.104. View

19.

Levin E, Chrysanthis E, Yacisin K, Linney E . Chlorpyrifos exposure of developing zebrafish: effects on survival and long-term effects on response latency and spatial discrimination. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2003; 25(1):51-7. DOI: 10.1016/s0892-0362(02)00322-7. View

20.

ESKIN R, Bitterman M . Fixed-interval and fixed-ratio performance in the fish as a function of prefeeding. Am J Psychol. 1960; 73:417-23. View