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Byrd KA, Theil JH, Geronimo JT, Ahloy-Dallaire J, Gutierrez MF, Hui EI, Felt TK, Coden KM, Ratuski AS, Felt SA, Chu DK, Garner JP. Pebble to the Metal: A Boulder Approach to Enrichment for Danio rerio. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298657. [PMID: 38713725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish are an established and widely used animal model, yet there is limited understanding of their welfare needs. Despite an increasing number of studies on zebrafish enrichment, in-tank environmental enrichment remains unpopular among researchers. This is due to perceived concerns over health/hygiene when it comes to introducing enrichment into the tank, although actual evidence for this is sparse. To accommodate this belief, regardless of veracity, we tested the potential benefits of enrichments presented outside the tank. Thus, we investigated the preferences and physiological stress of zebrafish with pictures of pebbles placed underneath the tank. We hypothesized that zebrafish would show a preference for enriched environments and have lower stress levels than barren housed zebrafish. In our first experiment, we housed zebrafish in a standard rack system and recorded their preference for visual access to a pebble picture, with two positive controls: visual access to conspecifics, and group housing. Using a crossover repeated-measures factorial design, we tested if the preference for visual access to pebbles was as strong as the preference for social contact. Zebrafish showed a strong preference for visual access to pebbles, equivalent to that for conspecifics. Then, in a second experiment, tank water cortisol was measured to assess chronic stress levels of zebrafish housed with or without a pebble picture under their tank, with group housing as a positive control. Cortisol levels were significantly reduced in zebrafish housed with pebble pictures, as were cortisol levels in group housed zebrafish. In fact, single housed zebrafish with pebble pictures showed the same cortisol levels as group housed zebrafish without pebble pictures. Thus, the use of an under-tank pebble picture was as beneficial as being group housed, effectively compensating for the stress of single housing. Pebble picture enrichment had an additive effect with group housing, where group housed zebrafish with pebble pictures had the lowest cortisol levels of any treatment group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyna A Byrd
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Jacob H Theil
- Campus Veterinary Services, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Jerome T Geronimo
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | | | - Michael F Gutierrez
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Emily I Hui
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Teagan K Felt
- Department of Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Kendall M Coden
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Anna S Ratuski
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen A Felt
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - David K Chu
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Joseph P Garner
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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Santacà M, Gatto E, Dadda M, Bruzzone M, Dal Maschio M, Bisazza A. Exploring the Importance of Environmental Complexity for Newly Hatched Zebrafish. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1031. [PMID: 38612270 PMCID: PMC11011065 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071031] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The effects of an early impoverished social or physical environment on vertebrate neural development and cognition has been known for decades. While existing studies have focused on the long-term effects, measuring adult cognitive phenotypes, studies on the effects of environmental complexity on the early stages of development are lacking. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) hatchlings are assumed to have minimal interaction with their environment and are routinely reared in small, bare containers. To investigate the effects of being raised under such conditions on development of behaviour and cognition, hatchlings housed for 10 days in either an enriched or a standard environment underwent two cognitive tasks. The results were mixed. Subjects of the two treatments did not differ in performance when required to discriminate two areas. Conversely, we found a significant effect in a number discrimination task, with subjects from impoverished condition performing significantly worse. In both experiments, larvae reared in impoverished environment showed a reduced locomotor activity. Given the effects that enrichment appears to exert on larvae, a third experiment explored whether hatchlings exhibit a spontaneous preference for more complex environments. When offered a choice between a bare setting and one with objects of different shapes and colors, larvae spent over 70% of time in the enriched sector. Deepening these effects of an early impoverished environment on cognitive development is crucial for the welfare of captive zebrafish populations and for enhancing the quality and reliability of studies on larval zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Santacà
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (M.D.)
| | - Elia Gatto
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Science, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy;
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marco Dadda
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (M.D.)
| | - Matteo Bruzzone
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy (M.D.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Dal Maschio
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy (M.D.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Angelo Bisazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (M.D.)
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy (M.D.M.)
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Gallas-Lopes M, Benvenutti R, Donzelli NIZ, Marcon M. A systematic review of the impact of environmental enrichment in zebrafish. Lab Anim (NY) 2023; 52:332-343. [PMID: 38017181 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-023-01288-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) consists of a series of interventions carried out in the home environment to promote greater exposure to sensory stimuli and mimic the natural habitat of laboratory-housed animals, providing environments closer to those found in nature. Some studies have shown the positive effects of EE in zebrafish housed in a laboratory environment. However, this evidence is still recent and accompanied by contradictory results. Furthermore, there is great variability in the protocols applied and in the conditions of the tests, tanks and materials used to generate an enriched environment. This substantial variability can bring many uncertainties to the development of future studies and hinder the reproducibility and replicability of research. Here, in this context, we carried out a systematic review of the literature, aiming to provide an overview of the EE protocols used in zebrafish research. The literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science and the studies were selected on the basis of predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. A total of 901 articles were identified in the databases, and 27 of those studies were included in this review. We conducted data extraction and risk-of-bias analysis in the included studies. Among these studies, the effect of EE was evaluated in two different ways: (1) for animal welfare and (2) as an intervention to prevent behavioral, biochemical, molecular, developmental and breeding dysfunctions. Although the EE protocols in zebrafish presented a series of experimental differences, the results showed that the benefits of the EE for zebrafish were consistent. According to the results described here, the use of EE in the zebrafish home tank improves welfare and may reduce sources of bias in scientific research. However, it is still necessary to develop standardized protocols to improve the application of EE in scientific studies using zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Gallas-Lopes
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Radharani Benvenutti
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nayne I Z Donzelli
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Farmacologia e Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil
- Laboratório de Zebrafish (ZebLab), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil
| | - Matheus Marcon
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Farmacologia e Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Zebrafish (ZebLab), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.
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Turner PV, Bayne K. Research Animal Behavioral Management Programs for the 21st Century. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1919. [PMID: 37370429 DOI: 10.3390/ani13121919] [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: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral management programs have been developed commonly for research dogs and primates but rarely has program consideration been expanded to include all research species worked with. This is necessary to reduce animal stress and promote natural behaviors, which can promote good animal welfare and result in more robust and reproducible scientific data. We describe the evolution of consideration for research animal needs and define an umbrella-based model of research animal behavioral management programs, which may be used for all research species. In addition to developing a more comprehensive program, we emphasize the need for regular welfare assessments to determine whether the program is working cohesively and whether any aspects require modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia V Turner
- Global Animal Welfare & Training, Charles River, Wilmington, MA 01887, USA
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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Lee CJ, Paull GC, Tyler CR. Improving zebrafish laboratory welfare and scientific research through understanding their natural history. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1038-1056. [PMID: 34983085 PMCID: PMC9303617 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Globally, millions of zebrafish (Danio rerio) are used for scientific laboratory experiments for which researchers have a duty of care, with legal obligations to consider their welfare. Considering the growing use of the zebrafish as a vertebrate model for addressing a diverse range of scientific questions, optimising their laboratory conditions is of major importance for both welfare and improving scientific research. However, most guidelines for the care and breeding of zebrafish for research are concerned primarily with maximising production and minimising costs and pay little attention to the effects on welfare of the environments in which the fish are maintained, or how those conditions affect their scientific research. Here we review the physical and social conditions in which laboratory zebrafish are kept, identifying and drawing attention to factors likely to affect their welfare and experimental science. We also identify a fundamental lack knowledge of how zebrafish interact with many biotic and abiotic features in their natural environment to support ways to optimise zebrafish health and well-being in the laboratory, and in turn the quality of scientific data produced. We advocate that the conditions under which zebrafish are maintained need to become a more integral part of research and that we understand more fully how they influence experimental outcome and in turn interpretations of the data generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole J. Lee
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope BuildingUniversity of ExeterStocker RoadExeterEX4 4QDU.K.
| | - Gregory C. Paull
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope BuildingUniversity of ExeterStocker RoadExeterEX4 4QDU.K.
| | - Charles R. Tyler
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope BuildingUniversity of ExeterStocker RoadExeterEX4 4QDU.K.
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Menezes FP, Amorim RR, Silva PF, Luchiari AC. Alcohol exposure and environmental enrichment effects on contextual fear conditioning in zebrafish. Behav Processes 2022; 197:104608. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Stevens CH, Reed BT, Hawkins P. Enrichment for Laboratory Zebrafish-A Review of the Evidence and the Challenges. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030698. [PMID: 33807683 PMCID: PMC8001412 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The zebrafish is one of the most commonly used animals in scientific research, but there remains a lack of consensus over good practice for zebrafish housing and care. One such area which lacks agreement is whether laboratory zebrafish should be provided with environmental enrichment—additions or modifications to the basic laboratory environment which aim to improve welfare, such as plastic plants in tanks. The need for the provision of appropriate environmental enrichment has been recognised in other laboratory animal species, but some scientists and animal care staff are hesitant to provide enrichment for zebrafish, arguing that there is little or no evidence that enrichment can benefit zebrafish welfare. This review aims to summarise the current literature on the effects of enrichment on zebrafish physiology, behaviour and welfare, and identifies some forms of enrichment which are likely to benefit zebrafish. It also considers the possible challenges that might be associated with introducing more enrichment, and how these might be addressed. Abstract Good practice for the housing and care of laboratory zebrafish Danio rerio is an increasingly discussed topic, with focus on appropriate water quality parameters, stocking densities, feeding regimes, anaesthesia and analgesia practices, methods of humane killing, and more. One area of current attention is around the provision of environmental enrichment. Enrichment is accepted as an essential requirement for meeting the behavioural needs and improving the welfare of many laboratory animal species, but in general, provision for zebrafish is minimal. Some of those involved in the care and use of zebrafish suggest there is a ‘lack of evidence’ that enrichment has welfare benefits for this species, or cite a belief that zebrafish do not ‘need’ enrichment. Concerns are also sometimes raised around the practical challenges of providing enrichments, or that they may impact on the science being undertaken. However, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that various forms of enrichment are preferred by zebrafish over a barren tank, and that enriched conditions can improve welfare by reducing stress and anxiety. This review explores the effects that enrichment can have on zebrafish behaviour, physiology and welfare, and considers the challenges to facilities of providing more enrichment for the zebrafish they house.
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Fontana BD, Müller TE, Cleal M, de Abreu MS, Norton WHJ, Demin KA, Amstislavskaya TG, Petersen EV, Kalueff AV, Parker MO, Rosemberg DB. Using zebrafish (Danio rerio) models to understand the critical role of social interactions in mental health and wellbeing. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 208:101993. [PMID: 33440208 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.101993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social behavior represents a beneficial interaction between conspecifics that is critical for maintaining health and wellbeing. Dysfunctional or poor social interaction are associated with increased risk of physical (e.g., vascular) and psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression, and substance abuse). Although the impact of negative and positive social interactions is well-studied, their underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Zebrafish have well-characterized social behavior phenotypes, high genetic homology with humans, relative experimental simplicity and the potential for high-throughput screens. Here, we discuss the use of zebrafish as a candidate model organism for studying the fundamental mechanisms underlying social interactions, as well as potential impacts of social isolation on human health and wellbeing. Overall, the growing utility of zebrafish models may improve our understanding of how the presence and absence of social interactions can differentially modulate various molecular and physiological biomarkers, as well as a wide range of other behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara D Fontana
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK.
| | - Talise E Müller
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Experimental Neuropscychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Madeleine Cleal
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK
| | - Murilo S de Abreu
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil
| | - William H J Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Center, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Scientific Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Elena V Petersen
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neuroscience and Bioscreening, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Matthew O Parker
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Experimental Neuropscychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA.
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