scholarly journals What do zebrafish prefer? Directional and color preferences in maze tasks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matheus Marcon ◽  
Radharani Benvenutti ◽  
Matheus Gallas-Lopes ◽  
Ana P Herrmann ◽  
Angelo Piato

Studies regarding the animals innate preferences help elucidate and avoid probable sources of bias and serve as a reference to improve and develop new behavioral tasks. In zebrafish research, the results of innate directional and color preferences are often not replicated between research groups or even inside the same laboratory raising huge concerns on the replicability and reproducibility. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the male and female zebrafish innate directional and color preferences in the plus-maze and T-maze behavioral tasks. As revealed by the percentage of time spent in each zone of the maze, our results showed that males and females zebrafish demonstrated no difference in directional preference in the plus-maze task. Surprisingly, male and female zebrafish showed color preference differences in the plus-maze task; males did not show any color preference, while female zebrafish demonstrated a red preference compared to white, blue, and yellow colors. Moreover, both male and female zebrafish demonstrated a strong black color preference compared to the white color in the T-maze task. Thus, our results demonstrate the importance of innate preference assays involved with the directionality of the apparatus or the application of colors as a screening process conducting behavioral tests (e.g., anxiety, learning and memory assessment, locomotion, and preference) and highlight the need to analyze sex differences.

2021 ◽  
pp. 104474
Author(s):  
Thiele P. Souza ◽  
Francini Franscescon ◽  
Flavia V. Stefanello ◽  
Talise E. Müller ◽  
Laura W. Santos ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Ming-Chung Ho ◽  
Jhih-Ming Chen ◽  
Ray-Ying Huang ◽  
Ming-Hsun Shen ◽  
Ming-Chi Lu ◽  
...  

Color preferences in engineering are very important, and there exists relationship between color preference and visual comfort. In this study, there are thirty university students who participated in the experiment, supplemented by pre- and posttest questionnaires, which lasted about an hour. The main purpose of this study is to explore the visual effects of different color assignment with subjective color preferences via eye tracking technology. Eye-movement data through a nonlinear analysis detect slight differences in color preferences and visual comfort, suggesting effective physiological indicators as extensive future research discussed. Results found that the average pupil size of eye-movement indicators can effectively reflect the differences of color preferences and visual comfort. This study more confirmed that the subjective feeling will make people have misjudgment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 640-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian H Harvey ◽  
Wilmie Regenass ◽  
Walter Dreyer ◽  
Marisa Möller

Background: The chronobiotic antidepressant, agomelatine, acts via re-entrainment of circadian rhythms. Earlier work has demonstrated late-life anxiety and reduced corticosterone in post-weaning social isolation reared (SIR) rats. Agomelatine was anxiolytic in this model but did not reverse hypocortisolemia. Reduced corticosterone or cortisol (in humans) is well-described in anxiety states, although the anxiolytic-like actions of agomelatine may involve targeting another mechanism. Central oxytocin and vasopressin exert anxiolytic and anxiogenic effects, respectively, and are subject to circadian fluctuation, while also showing sex-dependent differences in response to various challenges. Aims and methods: If corticosterone is less involved in the anxiolytic-like actions of agomelatine in SIR rats, we wondered whether effects on vasopressin and oxytocin may mediate these actions, and whether sex-dependent effects are evident. Anxiety as assessed in the elevated plus maze, as well as plasma vasopressin, oxytocin, and corticosterone were analyzed in social vs SIR animals receiving sub-chronic treatment with vehicle or agomelatine (40 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally at 16:00) for 16 days. Results: Social isolation rearing induced significant anxiety together with increased plasma vasopressin levels, but decreased corticosterone and oxytocin. While corticosterone displayed sex-dependent changes, vasopressin, and oxytocin changes were independent of sex. Agomelatine suppressed anxiety as well as reversed elevated vasopressin in both male and female rats and partially reversed reduced oxytocin in female but not male rats. Conclusion: SIR-associated anxiety later in life involves reduced corticosterone and oxytocin, and elevated vasopressin. The anxiolytic-like effects of agomelatine in SIR rats predominantly involve targeting of elevated vasopressin.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideaki Sato ◽  
Masako Tsukamoto-Yasui ◽  
Satoko Ueno ◽  
Keiko Matsunaga ◽  
Akihiko Kitamura

Abstract Objectives Increase of elderly people, dementia and cognitive decline has been already one of the social problems all over the world. There are a lot of risk factors including dietary composition. Several studies have reported the importance of protein for maintaining brain functions in the elderly, but the details are not well understood. To clarify the relationship between protein intake and brain function in the elderly, we evaluated the effect of low protein diet on cognitive function and psychiatric symptoms in aged mice. Methods Male mice at 60 weeks of age were fed a control diet (NPD; casein 20%) or a low protein diet (LPD; casein 5%). To evaluate neurobehavioral abnormality, we performed the elevated plus maze task (Day 64) and Passive avoidance task (conditioning: Day 66, evaluation: Day 67). Cerebral cortex tissues and plasma were measured for free amino acid concentration by LC-MSMS method, and monoamine concentration in cerebral cortex was measured by HPLC method. Results In the Passive avoidance task, LPD group decreased the time to keep staying in the light box and the rate of individuals entering the dark box during the test period. In the elevated plus maze task, LPD group significantly increased in the number of entry and staying times in open arm. In addition, total travel distance was significantly increased. Moreover, LPD decreased the concentration of not only amino acid in plasma and cerebral cortex but also neurotransmitter such as Glutamate, GABA, Aspartate, Glycine, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Serotonin. Conclusions We found that long-term intake of low-protein diet occurred memory loss and anxiety like behavior in elderly mice. Intracerebral neurotransmitters are mainly synthesized from amino acids, which is transferred from blood, within the brain. Therefore, behavioral change observed in LPD group might be induced by the decrease of neurotransmitters in the brain. Funding Sources Ajinomoto Co., Inc.


2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1934578X0900400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shio Murakami ◽  
Mariko Matsuura ◽  
Tadaaki Satou ◽  
Shinichiro Hayashi ◽  
Kazuo Koike

In phytotherapy, the essential oil from the leaves of Alpinia zerumbet ( Alpinia speciosa K. Schum.) (EOAZ) is used for neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as depression, stress and anxiety, and chronic problems that are associated with reproductive hormone imbalances in women. The chemical composition of EOAZ was analyzed by GC/MS, and the EOAZ properties inducing behavioral alterations in mice were examined by behavioral observations (BO) and an elevated plus-maze task (EPM), widely used as a method for assessing anxiolytic-like behaviors. Five major compounds, p-cymene (28.0 ± 5.0%), 1,8-cineole (17.9 ± 4.2%), terpinen-4-ol (11.9 ± 6.3%), limonene (6.3 ± 2.2%), and camphor (5.2 ± 2.1%) were identified by retention indices, mass spectra and comparison with standards. Inhalational administration of EOAZ (8.7 ppm) induced unique jumping behaviors in mice. To further investigate the behavioral regulatory mechanisms of EOAZ, we administered an intraperitoneal injection of either 10 mg/kg 5-HTP or 10 mg/kg fluoxetine prior to the EOAZ inhalations. By 5-HTP or fluoxetine pretreatments, the jumping frequencies were significantly decreased. In EPM, EOAZ (0.087 and 8.7 ppm) obviously showed the anxiolytic-like activity in mice.


1970 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 395-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Ough ◽  
M. A. Amerine

11 experienced adult Ss and 98 inexperienced student Ss have essentially the same preference patterns for red table wine color, showing a tendency to prefer the middle brightness and the red hue (compared to orange or purple). Male and female student Ss have very similar preference patterns. There is a slight tendency for the male Ss to prefer the wines with lower brightness. The 9 highly trained Ss tended to prefer the wine colors with decreasing brightness. The over-dark, purple wine was distinctly disliked by the adult and student Ss and the preference was split for the experts. The danger of using a highly trained panel to predict preference of an inexperienced group is evident.


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