Predator odor produces anxiety-like behavioral phenotype in planarians that is counteracted by fluoxetine

M Cho; Sunil U Nayak; T Jennings; Christopher S Tallarida; Scott M Rawls

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.04.003

Predator odor produces anxiety-like behavioral phenotype in planarians that is counteracted by fluoxetine

Physiol Behav. 2019 Jul 1:206:181-184. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.04.003. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Authors

M Cho¹, Sunil U Nayak¹, T Jennings¹, Christopher S Tallarida¹, Scott M Rawls²

Affiliations

¹ Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
² Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: scott.rawls@temple.edu.

Abstract

Avoidant behavior is a characteristic feature post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is modeled in mammals with predator odor. Light avoidance is a hallmark behavioral reaction in planarians. We hypothesized that planarians exposed to frog extract would display enhanced light avoidance that is prevented by fluoxetine. Enhanced light avoidance (i.e., less time spent in light compartment of a dish split into light and dark sides) after a 30-min frog extract exposure (0.0001-0.01%) manifested 15 min post-exposure, persisted for at least 24 h, and was counteracted by fluoxetine (10 μM). These results suggest conservation of an anxiety-like behavioral phenotype.

Keywords: Anxiety; Fluoxetine; Invertebrate; PTSD; Planarians; Trauma.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Animals
Anxiety / drug therapy*
Avoidance Learning / drug effects*
Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
Fluoxetine / pharmacology*
Fluoxetine / therapeutic use
Odorants
Planarians

Substances

Fluoxetine

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding