Ethanol in Food affects behaviour and HPA axis activity during development in zebrafish larvae Subhead: Ethanol in Food affects Nerves during development in zebrafish larvae

Abstract

Long-term alcohol intake from food can lead to numerous mental disorders in humans, and cause serious problems for governments and families worldwide. However, currently, it is unclear how alcohol affects the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. In the present study, using zebrafish larvae exposed to 1% ethanol, we made Zebrafish behavioural analysis, samples were collected for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) experiments,and made statistical analyses at last. we found that ethanol decreases the locomotor activity of zebrafish larvae,showed a more intense reaction to external stimuli,increases the secretion of HPA axis hormones in zebrafish larvae,influences the secretion of neurotransmitters,alters key gene expression during neurotransmitter metabolism. Ethanol exposure reduced zebrafish locomotor activity, increased their HPA axis activity, and led to significant changes in the secretion of dopamine and serotonin. These findings provide us with a new understanding of the effects of ethanol on the HPA axis.