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Vieira RSF, Venâncio C, Félix L. Cortisol Quantification for Assessing Stress-Induced Changes in Zebrafish Larvae. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2753:483-493. [PMID: 38285361 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3625-1_30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
The stress response, mainly mediated by cortisol, plays a critical role in the regulation of physiological and behavioral homeostasis through a variety of mechanisms. Different aquatic animal models have been widely employed to understand the pathobiology of stress and stress-related brain disorders. The early life stress can affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis and induce cellular and molecular impairments that impact the brain functioning later in life. However, these alterations have been poorly explored mainly due to the lack of suitable models. In this chapter, the vortex flow stimulation, an acute stress that causes a forced swimming and activates the HPI axis, is described and its correlations with behavioral outputs reported. To this end, the early life stages of zebrafish are used as animal models for modeling stress disorders experimentally. The behavioral despair model can be employed as an initial screening tool for assessing neural circuit activation and motor alterations. Taken together, the implementation of this strategy in this animal model allows the analysis of stress responses in a simple manner and its correlation with neural circuitries and motor alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel S F Vieira
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
- Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-food Production (Inov4Agro), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
| | - Carlos Venâncio
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-food Production (Inov4Agro), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Luís Félix
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-food Production (Inov4Agro), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
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Pedrazzani AS, Cozer N, Quintiliano MH, Tavares CPDS, Biernaski V, Ostrensky A. From egg to slaughter: monitoring the welfare of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, throughout their entire life cycle in aquaculture. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1268396. [PMID: 37808101 PMCID: PMC10551173 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1268396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the welfare of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) throughout their entire life cycle within aquaculture, spanning from reproduction to slaughter. The methodology was structured to identify welfare indicators closely aligned with the principles of animal freedoms defined by the Farm Animal Council, encompassing environmental, health, nutritional, behavioral, and psychological freedom. Notably, psychological freedom was inherently considered within the behavioral and physical analyses of the animals. To accomplish this, an integrative systematic literature review was conducted to define precise indicators and their corresponding reference values for each stage of tilapia cultivation. These reference values were subsequently categorized using a scoring system that assessed the deviation of each indicator from established ideal (score 1), tolerable (score 2), and critical (score 3) ranges for the welfare of the target species. Subsequently, a laboratory experiment was executed to validate the pre-selected health indicators, specifically tailored for the early life stages of tilapia. This test facilitated an assessment of the applicability of these indicators under operational conditions. Building on the insights gained from this experimentation, partial welfare indices (PWIs) were computed for each assessed freedom, culminating in the derivation of a general welfare index (GWI). Mathematical equations were employed to calculate these indices, offering a quantitative and standardized measure of welfare. This approach equips tilapia farmers and processors with the tools necessary for the continuous monitoring and enhancement of their production systems and stimulate the adoption of more sustainable and ethical practices within the tilapia farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Silvia Pedrazzani
- Wai Ora—Aquaculture and Environmental Technology Ltd., Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
| | - Nathieli Cozer
- Wai Ora—Aquaculture and Environmental Technology Ltd., Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Animal Science, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
- Integrated Group of Aquaculture and Environmental Studies (GIA), Department of Animal Science, Agricultural Sciences Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - Camila Prestes dos Santos Tavares
- Wai Ora—Aquaculture and Environmental Technology Ltd., Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
- Integrated Group of Aquaculture and Environmental Studies (GIA), Department of Animal Science, Agricultural Sciences Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Zoology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
| | - Vilmar Biernaski
- Integrated Group of Aquaculture and Environmental Studies (GIA), Department of Animal Science, Agricultural Sciences Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
| | - Antonio Ostrensky
- Wai Ora—Aquaculture and Environmental Technology Ltd., Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
- Integrated Group of Aquaculture and Environmental Studies (GIA), Department of Animal Science, Agricultural Sciences Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil
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