Journal
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
Volume 171, Issue -, Pages 50-54Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.12.032
Keywords
Aggression; Cortisol; Gender differences; Unpredictable chronic stress
Categories
Funding
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico [305035/2015-0, 301992/2014-2, 472715/2012-7]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Chronic stress may cause physical, behavioral and neuropsychiatric changes, affecting the health condition of an individual. Aggression is a universal behavior with great relevance on human and animal social systems. Despite studies showing the influence of chronic stress on aggression, the effects of unpredictable chronic stress (UCS) on aggressive behavior in male and female zebrafish remain unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of UCS on the aggressive behavior and cortisol levels in adult zebrafish of both sexes. Our results showed that UCS increased aggression in males, but not in females, which displayed more aggressive behavior at baseline than control males. Increased whole-body cortisol levels were observed in stressed males; however, no differences were found between female groups. In conclusion, we reported for the first time gender differences on behavioral parameters and cortisol levels in response to UCS in zebrafish. These results highlight the relevance of studying behavioral and physiological parameters in both sexes separately. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available