The anticonvulsant drug ethosuximide has shown diverse anxiety-related activity in rodents, but research in zebrafish is limited. To evaluate the effects of acute ethosuximide exposure on locomotor activity and anxiety-related thigmotaxis behaviours of zebrafish larvae, the activity of AB strain zebrafish larvae at 5 and 7 days postfertilization (dpf) was analysed under normal constant illumination and stressful light-dark transitions. Under constant illumination, ethosuximide at concentrations of 2, 5 and 10mmol/l increased the distances travelled and intensified locomotor responses to a novel environment. In addition, 40mmol/l ethosuximide decreased the travel distance and attenuated the locomotor response to darkness. The effects were age related. Under constant illumination, ethosuximide at 40mmol/l reduced thigmotaxis behaviours in larvae at both ages. Under the light-dark transition, 5mmol/l ethosuximide reduced thigmotaxis behaviours in 7-dpf larvae. We concluded that under constant lighting, ethosuximide at low concentrations (2, 5 and 10mmol/l) stimulated the locomotor activity of zebrafish larvae, whereas a high concentration (40mmol/l) inhibited the activity. Ethosuximide at a low concentration (5mmol/l) showed anxiolytic effects during the stressful light-dark transition in 7-dpf larvae. The effects of ethosuximide were age and concentration related. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
[1]Fudan Univ, Translat Med Ctr Dev & Dis, Shanghai Key Lab Birth Defect, Inst Pediat,Childrens Hosp, 399 Wanyuan Rd, Shanghai 201102, Peoples R China.
[2]Shanghai Univ Tradit Chinese Med, Ctr Chinese Med Therapy & Syst Biol, Shanghai, Peoples R China.
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