You are here:
Inconsistencies in Variable Reporting and Methods in Larval Zebrafish Behavioral Assays (INA 2023)
Citation:
Hill, B., K. Britton, D. Hunter, J. Olin, M. Lowery, J. Hedge, B. Knapp, K. Jarema, Z. Rowson, AND S. Padilla. Inconsistencies in Variable Reporting and Methods in Larval Zebrafish Behavioral Assays (INA 2023). International Neurotoxicology Association 18, Durham, NC, May 21 - 25, 2023. https://doi.org/10.23645/epacomptox.23198927
Impact/Purpose:
Poster presented to the International Neurotoxicology Association (INA) Meeting symposium May 2023. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are an alternative vertebrate model for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) testing, but without a standardized protocol for larval behavioral assays, comparison of results among laboratories is challenging. To evaluate the congruence of protocols across laboratories, we conducted a literature review of DNT studies focusing on larval zebrafish behavior assays and cataloged experimental design consistencies. No publication reported 100% of the targeted variables; only 51 to 86% of those variables were reported in the reviewed publications, with some aspects of the experimental design consistent among laboratories. However, no protocol was exactly the same for any two publications. Many of these variables had more than one parameter/design reported, highlighting the inconsistencies among methods. Overall, there is not only a strong need for the development of a standardized testing protocol for larval zebrafish locomotor assays, but there is also a need for a standardized protocol for reporting experimental variables in the literature.
Description:
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are an alternative vertebrate model for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) testing, but without a standardized protocol for larval behavioral assays, comparison of results among laboratories is challenging. To evaluate the congruence of protocols across laboratories, we conducted a literature review of DNT studies focusing on larval zebrafish behavior assays and cataloged experimental design consistencies. Our review focused on 51 unique method variables in publications where chemical exposure occurred in early development and subsequent larval locomotor evaluation focused on assays that included a light/dark photoperiod transition. We initially identified 94 publications, but only 31 exclusively met our inclusion criteria which focused on five main parameters that are important to an assay employed by our laboratory (e.g. age at time of behavior testing, start and duration of chemical exposure, at least one light to dark transition in the behavior testing protocol). No publication reported 100% of the targeted variables; only 51 to 86% of those variables were reported in the reviewed publications, with some aspects of the experimental design consistent among laboratories. However, no protocol was exactly the same for any two publications. Many of these variables had more than one parameter/design reported, highlighting the inconsistencies among methods. Overall, there is not only a strong need for the development of a standardized testing protocol for larval zebrafish locomotor assays, but there is also a need for a standardized protocol for reporting experimental variables in the literature. This abstract does not reflect US EPA policy.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Inconsistencies in Variable Reporting and Methods in Larval Zebrafish Behavioral Assays (INA 2023)
B HILL INA 2023 POSTER FINAL.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 2071.489 KB, about PDF)