Open AccessEmbryonic ethanol exposure on zebrafish early development
Author(s) -
PinheirodaSilva Jaquelinne,
Luchiari Ana Carolina
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.2062
Subject(s) - zebrafish , heartbeat , embryogenesis , hatching , fetus , ethanol , fetal alcohol syndrome , biology , embryo , andrology , fetal alcohol spectrum disorder , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , pregnancy , genetics , biochemistry , zoology , computer security , computer science , gene
Embryonic exposure to ethanol leads to a condition of physical, behavioral, and cognitive deficiencies named fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The most severe variations are in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which is easier to diagnose and not studied in animal models. On the other side, the pFAS (partial fetal alcohol syndrome) includes cases of alcohol‐related congenital disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorder with an inconclusive diagnosis. In recent years, the zebrafish has become a valuable model to study FASD and its variations. Methods This study characterizes the zebrafish embryonic and larval development after low and moderate ethanol concentration exposure. Fish eggs were exposed to 0.0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1.0% ethanol at 24 hr postfertilization, and embryonic development was observed every 8 hr up to 120 hpf. It evaluated movements, phenotypic abnormalities, hatching, cardiac function and heartbeat frequency, larvae length at 120 hpf, and the apoptotic cells' fluorescence stained with acridine orange. Results Embryonic exposure to 0.5% and 1% ethanol presented reduced body size, decreased heartbeat rate, higher numbers of apoptotic cells, and hatching time differences. Conclusions Our results suggest any ethanol exposure during embryogenesis can be harmful and reinforces zebrafish as a suitable model for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).