Zebrafish are getting themselves high — and that could help us develop new addiction treatments
When given the chance, zebrafish willingly dose themselves with opioids — even putting themselves at risk in order to get their fix.
Scientists tested the drug-seeking behavior in a tank that allows the fish to trigger the release of the opioid hydrocodone in the water. The new tool, described in a study published online today in Behavioral Brain Research, can be used to study the underlying biological pathways that push zebrafish to seek drugs. And because zebrafish and humans are surprisingly similar, that could tells us more about biological pathways in people. Eventually, this could lead to new treatments for addiction.
Zebrafish share more than 80 percent of their genes with people, says study…
