NOS-2 participates in the behavioral effects of ethanol withdrawal in zebrafish

Neurosci Lett. 2020 May 29:728:134952. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134952. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

Abstract

Nitric oxide has been implicated in symptoms of ethanol withdrawal in animal models. Zebrafish have been used as models to study neurobehavioral effects of ethanol (EtOH) withdrawal, but the mechanisms associated with these effects are not yet clear. Adult zebrafish were treated with 1% EtOH for 20 min per day for 8 days, injected with the nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS-2) inhibitor aminoguanidine (50 mg/kg), and allowed to experience withdrawal (WD) in their hometanks for 7 days. EtOH WD increased anxiety-like behavior in the novel tank test, an effect that was blocked by aminoguanidine. EtOH WD also increased brain levels of nitrite, an effect that was partially blocked by aminoguanidine. These results underline a novel mechanism by which NOS-2 controls anxiety-like responses to ethanol withdrawal, with implications for the mechanistic study of symptoms associated with chronic ethanol abuse. Preprint: https://dx.doi.org/10.20944/preprints201912.0219.v1 Data and scripts: https://github.com/lanec-unifesspa/etoh-withdrawal/tree/master/NOS2.

Keywords: Anxiety; Ethanol withdrawal; Nitric oxide; Oxidative stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alcoholism / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Anxiety / drug therapy
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Ethanol / pharmacology*
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / drug effects
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / metabolism*
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / metabolism*
  • Zebrafish / metabolism

Substances

  • Nitric Oxide
  • Ethanol
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II