Efeitos do Paraquat sobre os comportamentos do tipo ansiedade e medo no Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Abstract

The project aimed to verify the effects of three different doses of Paraquat (5mg/Kg; 10mg/Kg and 20mg/Kg) on anxiety and fear morphological and behavioral changes in Zebrafish. 168 animals were tested (n = 168) divided into 5 groups, control group without saline, control group with saline, experimental group under-dose, experimental group with standard dose and experimental group with over-dose. The different animals were exposed to three behavioral tests: a) light / dark test, novel tank test and alarm substance evoked anxiety test and morphological analysis of the brain. The results indicated that Paraquat produced dosedependent effects on anxiety and fear behaviors, highlighting that, in the over-dose group (20mg / Kg), nerve cell involvement was observed, causing changes in self-preservation behaviors. In the sub-dose (5mg / kg) and standard dose (10mg / kg) groups, there was an increase in anxiety and fear behaviors indicating a greater sensitivity to aversive stimuli present in the environment. Thus, it can be concluded that Paraquat alters the morphological organization of the neuronal cell, as well as, some anxiety and fear behaviors in Zebrafish.