Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of buspirone in healthy and depression-like state juvenile salmon

A proportion of farmed salmon in seawater show a behaviorally inhibited, growth stunted profile known as a depression-like state (DLS). These DLS fish are characterized by chronically elevated serotonergic signaling and blood plasma cortisol levels and the inability to react further to acute stress,...

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Main Authors: Sheyda Shapouri, Aziz Sharifi, Ole Folkedal, Thomas W. K. Fraser, Marco A. Vindas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1285413/full
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author Sheyda Shapouri
Aziz Sharifi
Ole Folkedal
Thomas W. K. Fraser
Marco A. Vindas
author_facet Sheyda Shapouri
Aziz Sharifi
Ole Folkedal
Thomas W. K. Fraser
Marco A. Vindas
author_sort Sheyda Shapouri
collection DOAJ
description A proportion of farmed salmon in seawater show a behaviorally inhibited, growth stunted profile known as a depression-like state (DLS). These DLS fish are characterized by chronically elevated serotonergic signaling and blood plasma cortisol levels and the inability to react further to acute stress, which is suggestive of chronic stress. In this study, we characterize the neuroendocrine profile of growth stunted freshwater parr and confirm that they show a DLS-like neuroendocrine profile with a blunted cortisol response and no serotonergic increase in response to acute stress. Furthermore, we attempted to reverse this DLS-like profile through pharmacological manipulation of the serotonin (5-HT) system with buspirone, an anxiolytic medication that acts as a serotonin receptor agonist (i.e., decreases serotonergic signaling). We found that while buspirone decreases anxiolytic-type behavior in healthy fish, no quantifiable behavioral change was found in DLS-like fish. However, there was a physiological effect of diminished basal serotonergic signaling. This suggests that at the physiological level, buspirone appears to reverse the neuroendocrine DLS profile. With a deeper understanding of what causes DLS profiles and growth stunting in juvenile fish, steps can be taken in terms of husbandry to prevent repeated stressors and the formation of the DLS profile, potentially reducing losses in aquaculture due to chronic stress.
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spelling doaj.art-f7d9a294f9014f2bbf834d35685c473a2024-02-12T04:25:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532024-02-011810.3389/fnbeh.2024.12854131285413Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of buspirone in healthy and depression-like state juvenile salmonSheyda Shapouri0Aziz Sharifi1Ole Folkedal2Thomas W. K. Fraser3Marco A. Vindas4Biochemistry and Physiology Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, As, NorwayDepartment of Biosciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayAnimal Welfare, Matre Research Station, Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, NorwayReproduction and Developmental Biology, Matre Research Station, Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, NorwayBiochemistry and Physiology Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, As, NorwayA proportion of farmed salmon in seawater show a behaviorally inhibited, growth stunted profile known as a depression-like state (DLS). These DLS fish are characterized by chronically elevated serotonergic signaling and blood plasma cortisol levels and the inability to react further to acute stress, which is suggestive of chronic stress. In this study, we characterize the neuroendocrine profile of growth stunted freshwater parr and confirm that they show a DLS-like neuroendocrine profile with a blunted cortisol response and no serotonergic increase in response to acute stress. Furthermore, we attempted to reverse this DLS-like profile through pharmacological manipulation of the serotonin (5-HT) system with buspirone, an anxiolytic medication that acts as a serotonin receptor agonist (i.e., decreases serotonergic signaling). We found that while buspirone decreases anxiolytic-type behavior in healthy fish, no quantifiable behavioral change was found in DLS-like fish. However, there was a physiological effect of diminished basal serotonergic signaling. This suggests that at the physiological level, buspirone appears to reverse the neuroendocrine DLS profile. With a deeper understanding of what causes DLS profiles and growth stunting in juvenile fish, steps can be taken in terms of husbandry to prevent repeated stressors and the formation of the DLS profile, potentially reducing losses in aquaculture due to chronic stress.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1285413/fulldepression modelsbehavioral inhibitionserotonergic activitychronic stresscortisol
spellingShingle Sheyda Shapouri
Aziz Sharifi
Ole Folkedal
Thomas W. K. Fraser
Marco A. Vindas
Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of buspirone in healthy and depression-like state juvenile salmon
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
depression models
behavioral inhibition
serotonergic activity
chronic stress
cortisol
title Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of buspirone in healthy and depression-like state juvenile salmon
title_full Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of buspirone in healthy and depression-like state juvenile salmon
title_fullStr Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of buspirone in healthy and depression-like state juvenile salmon
title_full_unstemmed Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of buspirone in healthy and depression-like state juvenile salmon
title_short Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of buspirone in healthy and depression-like state juvenile salmon
title_sort behavioral and neurophysiological effects of buspirone in healthy and depression like state juvenile salmon
topic depression models
behavioral inhibition
serotonergic activity
chronic stress
cortisol
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1285413/full
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