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Ostap-Chec M, Bajorek D, Antoł W, Stec D, Miler K. Occasional and constant exposure to dietary ethanol shortens the lifespan of worker honey bees. J Comp Physiol B 2024:10.1007/s00360-024-01571-3. [PMID: 38880794 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-024-01571-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are one of the most crucial pollinators, providing vital ecosystem services. Their development and functioning depend on essential nutrients and substances found in the environment. While collecting nectar as a vital carbohydrate source, bees routinely encounter low doses of ethanol from yeast fermentation. Yet, the effects of repeated ethanol exposure on bees' survival and physiology remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the impacts of constant and occasional consumption of food spiked with 1% ethanol on honey bee mortality and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity. This ethanol concentration might be tentatively judged close to that in natural conditions. We conducted an experiment in which bees were exposed to three types of long-term diets: constant sugar solution (control group that simulated conditions of no access to ethanol), sugar solution spiked with ethanol every third day (that simulated occasional, infrequent exposure to ethanol) and daily ethanol consumption (simulating constant, routine exposure to ethanol). The results revealed that both constant and occasional ethanol consumption increased the mortality of bees, but only after several days. These mortality rates rose with the frequency of ethanol intake. The ADH activity remained similar in bees from all groups. Our findings indicate that exposure of bees to ethanol carries harmful effects that accumulate over time. Further research is needed to pinpoint the exact ethanol doses ingested with food and exposure frequency in bees in natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Ostap-Chec
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Prof. St. Łojasiewicza 11 St., 30-348, Kraków, Poland.
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7 St., 30-387 , Kraków, Poland.
| | - Daniel Bajorek
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17 St., 31-016, Kraków, Poland
| | - Weronika Antoł
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17 St., 31-016, Kraków, Poland
| | - Daniel Stec
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17 St., 31-016, Kraków, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Miler
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17 St., 31-016, Kraków, Poland.
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Korczyńska J, Szczuka A, Urzykowska J, Kochanowski M, Andrzejczyk NG, Piwowarek KJ, Godzińska EJ. The Effects of Ethanol and Acetic acid on Behaviour of Extranidal Workers of the Narrow-Headed Ant Formica exsecta (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) during a Field Experiment. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2734. [PMID: 37684998 PMCID: PMC10486794 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Ethanol addiction belongs to the most important problems encountered in the domain of human mental health. The research on the behavioural effects of exposure to/consumption of ethanol are investigated largely with the help of animal models that also include insects, mainly fruit flies and honeybees. The effects of ethanol on ant behaviour remain, however, little known. In the present field study, we investigated the behaviour of workers of the narrow-headed ant (Formica exsecta) displayed in the vicinity of cotton pads soaked in water or in water solutions of ethanol or acetic acid during 5 min tests (n = 30 tests in each group). Both ethanol and acetic acid induced significant modifications of ant locomotion, exploratory behaviour, self-grooming behaviour, and aggressive social behaviour. We confirmed that acetic acid is aversive for the ants, but ethanol enhances their exploratory behaviour. We also found out that field studies may document more types of responses to experimental compounds than laboratory ones, as the tested animals may also escape from aversive substances. Our findings documented a wide spectrum of behavioural effects of exposure to ethanol and acetic acid in a highly social animal species and broadened the general knowledge about behavioural responses to these compounds encountered in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julita Korczyńska
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Ludwika Pasteura 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (J.K.); (A.S.); (J.U.)
| | - Anna Szczuka
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Ludwika Pasteura 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (J.K.); (A.S.); (J.U.)
| | - Julia Urzykowska
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Ludwika Pasteura 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (J.K.); (A.S.); (J.U.)
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Ilji Miecznikowa 1, PL 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Kochanowski
- Botanic Garden, University of Warsaw, Aleje Ujazdowskie 4, PL 00-478 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Neptun Gabriela Andrzejczyk
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Ludwika Pasteura 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (J.K.); (A.S.); (J.U.)
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Ilji Miecznikowa 1, PL 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; (N.G.A.); (K.J.P.)
| | - Kacper Jerzy Piwowarek
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Ludwika Pasteura 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (J.K.); (A.S.); (J.U.)
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Ilji Miecznikowa 1, PL 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; (N.G.A.); (K.J.P.)
| | - Ewa Joanna Godzińska
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Ludwika Pasteura 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (J.K.); (A.S.); (J.U.)
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Scholz H. From Natural Behavior to Drug Screening: Invertebrates as Models to Study Mechanisms Associated with Alcohol Use Disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 36598738 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Humans consume ethanol-containing beverages, which may cause an uncontrollable or difficult-to-control intake of ethanol-containing liquids and may result in alcohol use disorders. How the transition at the molecular level from "normal" ethanol-associated behaviors to addictive behaviors occurs is still unknown. One problem is that the components contributing to normal ethanol intake and their underlying molecular adaptations, especially in neurons that regulate behavior, are not clear. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the earthworm Caenorhabditis elegans show behavioral similarities to humans such as signs of intoxication, tolerance, and withdrawal. Underlying the phenotypic similarities, invertebrates and vertebrates share mechanistic similarities. For example in Drosophila melanogaster, the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system regulates the positive reinforcing properties of ethanol and in Caenorhabditis elegans, serotonergic neurons regulate feeding behavior. Since these mechanisms are fundamental molecular mechanisms and are highly conserved, invertebrates are good models for uncovering the basic principles of neuronal adaptation underlying the behavioral response to ethanol. This review will focus on the following aspects that might shed light on the mechanisms underlying normal ethanol-associated behaviors. First, the current status of what is required at the behavioral and cellular level to respond to naturally occurring levels of ethanol is summarized. Low levels of ethanol delay the development and activate compensatory mechanisms that in turn might be beneficial for some aspects of the animal's physiology. Repeated exposure to ethanol however might change brain structures involved in mediating learning and memory processes. The smell of ethanol is already a key component in the environment that is able to elicit behavioral changes and molecular programs. Minimal networks have been identified that regulate normal ethanol consumption. Other environmental factors that influence ethanol-induced behaviors include the diet, dietary supplements, and the microbiome. Second, the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal adaptation to the cellular stressor ethanol are discussed. Components of the heat shock and oxidative stress pathways regulate adaptive responses to low levels of ethanol and in turn change behavior. The adaptive potential of the brain cells is challenged when the organism encounters additional cellular stressors caused by aging, endosymbionts or environmental toxins or excessive ethanol intake. Finally, to underline the conserved nature of these mechanisms between invertebrates and higher organisms, recent approaches to identify drug targets for ethanol-induced behaviors are provided. Already approved drugs regulate ethanol-induced behaviors and they do so in part by interfering with cellular stress pathways. In addition, invertebrates have been used to identify new compounds targeting molecules involved in the regulation in ethanol withdrawal-like symptoms. This review primarily highlights the advances of the last 5 years concerning Drosophila melanogaster, but also provides intriguing examples of Caenorhabditis elegans and Apis mellifera in support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrike Scholz
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, University of Köln, Köln, Germany.
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Ahmed I, Abramson CI, Faruque IA. Honey bee flights near hover under ethanol-exposure show changes in body and wing kinematics. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278916. [PMID: 36520797 PMCID: PMC9754180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Flying social insects can provide model systems for in-flight interactions in computationally-constrained aerial robot swarms. The social interactions in flying insects may be chemically modulated and quantified via recent measurement advancements able to simultaneously make precise measurements of insect wing and body motions. This paper presents the first in-flight quantitative measurements of ethanol-exposed honey bee body and wing kinematics in archival literature. Four high-speed cameras (9000 frames/sec) were used to record the wing and body motions of flying insects (Apis mellifera) and automated analysis was used to extract 9000 frame/sec measurements of honey bees' wing and body motions through data association, hull reconstruction, and segmentation. The kinematic changes induced by exposure to incremental ethanol concentrations from 0% to 5% were studied using statistical analysis tools. Analysis considered trial-wise mean and maximum values and gross wingstroke parameters, and tested deviations for statistical significance using Welch's t-test and Cohen's d test. The results indicate a decrease in maximal heading and pitch rates of the body, and that roll rate is affected at high concentrations (5%). The wingstroke effects include a stroke frequency decrease and stroke amplitude increase for 2.5% or greater concentrations, gradual stroke inclination angle increase up to 2.5% concentration, and a more planar wingstroke with increasing concentration according to bulk wingstroke analysis. These ethanol-exposure effects provide a basis to separate ethanol exposure and neighbor effects in chemically mediated interaction studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishriak Ahmed
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Charles I. Abramson
- Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Imraan A. Faruque
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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Dvořáček J, Kodrík D. Drug effect and addiction research with insects - From Drosophila to collective reward in honeybees. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104816. [PMID: 35940307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Animals and humans share similar reactions to the effects of addictive substances, including those of their brain networks to drugs. Our review focuses on simple invertebrate models, particularly the honeybee (Apis mellifera), and on the effects of drugs on bee behaviour and brain functions. The drug effects in bees are very similar to those described in humans. Furthermore, the honeybee community is a superorganism in which many collective functions outperform the simple sum of individual functions. The distribution of reward functions in this superorganism is unique - although sublimated at the individual level, community reward functions are of higher quality. This phenomenon of collective reward may be extrapolated to other animal species living in close and strictly organised societies, i.e. humans. The relationship between sociality and reward, based on use of similar parts of the neural network (social decision-making network in mammals, mushroom body in bees), suggests a functional continuum of reward and sociality in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Dvořáček
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Dalibor Kodrík
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic
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