Music Aggravates Catechol-Induced Behavioural Abnormality and Redox Imbalance in Zebrafish

Catechol, also known as pyrocatechol, is a widespread antioxidant carcinogen that has been shown to cause central nervous system damage and metabolic abnormalities, and in zebrafish, it has been shown that exposure to aqueous solutions of catechol results in reduced pigmentation and decreased basal locomotor rate in juvenile zebrafish. However, the effects of catechol on zebrafish redox and behaviour are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of catechol on oxidative stress levels in early zebrafish development and on behaviour in later stages of zebrafish development and to attempt to intervene in this effect with music therapy. We exposed zebrafish adults and juveniles to catechol separately, tested zebrafish juveniles for various redox indices and found that zebrafish juveniles had increased levels of reactive oxygen species and decreased total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation capacity, and we tested zebrafish adults for behavioural studies and found that anxiety behaviours increased as social cohesion decreased. We then conducted a music therapy intervention for catechol exposure in adult zebrafish and found that music therapy exacerbated catechol-induced behavioural abnormalities and altered oxidative levels, whether zebrafish were exposed to both catechol and classical music or whether the catechol exposure was followed by a 12-day classical music intervention after 12 days of catechol exposure. In summary, this study revealed for the first time that catechol caused redox imbalance in juvenile zebrafish and socially disturbed, anxious behaviour in adults and found that music treatment worsened this behavioural abnormality. This study provides new insights into the effects of catechol on zebrafish and suggests that the therapeutic effects of music therapy may have a double-edged effect.