TY - JOUR

T1 - The effects of auditory enrichment on zebrafish behavior and physiology

AU - Koakoski, G

AU - Chaulet, F

AU - Kirsten, KS

AU - Kreutz,

AU - Barcellos, HHA

AU - Калуев, Алан Валерьевич

AU - Barcellos, Leonardo J.G.

N1 - Funding Information: This study was funded by the Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico, Ciência e Tecnologia (SDECT) and by CNPq research fellowship (301992/2014-2) to Leonardo J. G. Barcellos and to L. C. Kreutz (307900/2016-9). Allan V. Kalueff is the Chair of ZNRC, and his research is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) grant 16-04-00851. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Environmental enrichment is widely used to improve welfare and behavioral performance of animal species. It ensures housing of laboratory animals in environments with space and complexity that enable the expression of their normal behavioral repertoire. Auditory enrichment by exposure to classical music decreases abnormal behaviors and endocrine stress responses in humans, non-humans primates, and rodents. However, little is known about the role of auditory enrichment in laboratory zebrafish. Given the growing importance of zebrafish for neuroscience research, such studies become critical. To examine whether auditory enrichment by classical music can affect fish behavior and physiology, we exposed adult zebrafish to 2 h of Vivaldi's music (65-75 dB) twice daily, for 15 days. Overall, zebrafish exposed to such auditory stimuli were less anxious in the novel tank test and less active, calmer in the light-dark test, also affecting zebrafish physiological (immune) biomarkers, decreasing peripheral levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing the activity of some CNS genes, without overt effects on whole-body cortisol levels. In summary, we report that twice-daily exposure to continuous musical sounds may provide benefits over the ongoing 50-55 dB background noise of equipment in the laboratory setting. Overall, our results support utilizing auditory enrichment in laboratory zebrafish to reduce stress and improve welfare in this experimental aquatic organism.

AB - Environmental enrichment is widely used to improve welfare and behavioral performance of animal species. It ensures housing of laboratory animals in environments with space and complexity that enable the expression of their normal behavioral repertoire. Auditory enrichment by exposure to classical music decreases abnormal behaviors and endocrine stress responses in humans, non-humans primates, and rodents. However, little is known about the role of auditory enrichment in laboratory zebrafish. Given the growing importance of zebrafish for neuroscience research, such studies become critical. To examine whether auditory enrichment by classical music can affect fish behavior and physiology, we exposed adult zebrafish to 2 h of Vivaldi's music (65-75 dB) twice daily, for 15 days. Overall, zebrafish exposed to such auditory stimuli were less anxious in the novel tank test and less active, calmer in the light-dark test, also affecting zebrafish physiological (immune) biomarkers, decreasing peripheral levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing the activity of some CNS genes, without overt effects on whole-body cortisol levels. In summary, we report that twice-daily exposure to continuous musical sounds may provide benefits over the ongoing 50-55 dB background noise of equipment in the laboratory setting. Overall, our results support utilizing auditory enrichment in laboratory zebrafish to reduce stress and improve welfare in this experimental aquatic organism.

KW - Anxiety

KW - Auditory enrichment

KW - Exploratory behavior

KW - Fish welfare

KW - Immune genes

KW - Stress

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050605095&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.7717/peerj.5162

DO - 10.7717/peerj.5162

M3 - Article

VL - 2018

JO - PeerJ

JF - PeerJ

SN - 2167-8359

IS - 7

M1 - e5162

ER -