Analise paramétrica do comportamento do zebrafish no labirinto em cruz com rampa

Abstract

Animal models have been a useful tool in the study and treatment of anxiety. Parametric studies are important to ensure these models validity since they help to identify witch parameters of the model are relevant to produce anxiety-like behaviors. The Plus-maze with Ramp is an anxiety model for fishes, adapted from the Elevated Plus-maze with Ramp. The present study consists of a parametric analysis of the zebrafish’s response in the Plus-Maze with Ramp, evaluating the effects of sex, ramp inclination, light level and arms width. Results showed that, regardless of any manipulation in the evaluated parameters, the animals preferred the flat arms instead of arms with ramp, that the light level of 700 lux increased the animal’s general exploratory behavior and that the ramp inclination of 34,43º increased the total number of entries in the flat arms. The plusmaze with Ramp seems to be a valid model for the study of anxiety in fish and the standard measures of the apparatus seems adequate.