Establishing zebrafish as a model to study the anxiolytic effects of scopolamine.

ABSTRACT: Scopolamine (hyoscine) is a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist that has traditionally been used to treat motion sickness in humans. However, studies investigating depressed and bipolar populations have found that scopolamine is also effective at reducing depression and anxiety symptoms. The potential anxiety-reducing (anxiolytic) effects of scopolamine could have great clinical implications for humans; however, rats and mice administered scopolamine showed increased anxiety in standard behavioural tests. This is in direct contrast to findings in humans, and complicates studies to elucidate the specific mechanisms of scopolamine action. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of zebrafish as a model system to test anxiety-like compounds using scopolamine. Similar to hu

SUBMITTER: Hamilton TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5678162 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature