Abstract
Alcohol abuse can lead to severe psychological and physiological damage. Little is known, however, about the relative impact of a small, daily dose of alcohol (daily-moderate schedule) versus a large, once per week dose (weekly-binge schedule). In this study, we examined the effect of each of these schedules on behavioural measures of anxiety in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Adult wild-type zebrafish were administered either 0.2% ethanol on a daily-moderate schedule or 1.4% ethanol on a weekly-binge schedule for a period of 21 days, and then tested for scototaxis (preference for darkness) during withdrawal. Compared to a control group with no alcohol exposure, the daily-moderate group spent significantly more time on the light side of the arena (indicative of decreased anxiety) on day two of withdrawal, but not day 9 of withdrawal. The weekly-binge group was not significantly different from the control group on either day of withdrawal and showed no preference for either the light or dark zones. Our results indicate that even a small dose of alcohol on a daily basis can cause significant, though reversible, changes in behaviour.
Highlights
While moderate alcohol consumption is increasingly being touted as having significant health benefits [1], overconsumption of alcohol remains a worldwide problem that results in 2.5 million deaths each year [2]
In animal research a chronic drinking schedule usually refers to constant ethanol exposure for long periods of time, or exposure for the majority of the day
Binge drinking is most common in humans aged 18–34 years, and can result in significant neurological and psychological changes, including cognitive impairment [3] and decreased overall quality of life [7]
Summary
While moderate alcohol consumption is increasingly being touted as having significant health benefits [1], overconsumption of alcohol remains a worldwide problem that results in 2.5 million deaths each year [2]. Chronic drinking involves frequent consumption of relatively low doses, and can lead to memory disorders, decreased immune system functioning, and cardiovascular, pancreatic, and digestive problems [3]. It is associated with a decrease in psychological well-being [4], as well as neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration [5]. Binge drinking is most common in humans aged 18–34 years, and can result in significant neurological and psychological changes, including cognitive impairment [3] and decreased overall quality of life [7]. Recent research with rodents has demonstrated that binge drinking impairs the extinction of fear responses via morphological changes in pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex [8]
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