Zebra fish model

Embryonic zebra fish model was employed to study fullerene toxicity. This model is quite convenient because the embryos are transparent in the first week of life and their rate of development is rather fast. C60, C70, and C60(OH)24 have been tested on early embryogenesis (Usenko et al., 2007), presenting effects on this process with malformations, pericardial edema, and mortality. The results for fullerols are milder, but it is difficult to attribute this effect to the presence of the functionalizations themselves or to the easier solubilization, implying diminished cluster formations and avoiding the use of solvents as toluene or THF, the presence of which can play an important role in toxicity, as already demonstrated. 

Role in Embryonic Development Insights from the Zebra Fish Model... 

Gerlai, R., Lahav, M., Guo, S., and Rosenthal, A., Drinks like a fish Zebra fish (Danio rerio) as a behaviour genetic model to study alcohol effects, Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav., 67, 773-792,2000. 

Gerlai, R., Zebra fish an unchartered behaviour genetic model, Behav. Genet., 33,461-468,2003. 

Looking for alternative methods, the Zebra Fish assay seems to be a promising model, but is not considered an in vitro system under the European legislation as it requires whole organisms (4). 

Several animals have emerged as important model systems for the study of development, because they are easy to maintain in a laboratory and have relatively short generation times. These include nematodes, fruit flies, zebra fish, mice, and the plant Arabidopsis. This discussion focuses on the development of fruit flies. Our understanding of the molecular events during development of Drosophila melanogaster is particularly well advanced and can be used to illustrate patterns and principles of general significance. 

Scholz S., Fisher S., Gundel U., Kuster E., Luckenbach T. Voelker D. (2008) The zebra fish embryo model in environmental risk assessment - application beyond acute toxicity testing. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International 15 394-404. 

The question then arises of the extent to which any nonlethal effect is reversible after removal of the toxicant. The answer seems to be that in the few cases which have been examined, this may indeed be the case all of them have examined phenolic compounds, one (McCahon et al. 1990) using the crustacean Asellus aquaticus, one assessing respiratory/cardiovascular effects on rainbow trout (Bradbury et al. 1989), and the third (Neilson et al. 1990) using the embryo/larvae assay with zebra fish (Brachydanio rerio). The last of these has been developed into a protocol that is modeled on the standard bioconcentration procedure in which a period of depuration is included after exposure to the toxicant. 

In Vivo Zebra Fish Larvae The zebra fish larvae (Danio rerio Zf) have been assessed as a medium/ high-throughput in vivo model for detection of seizure liability (Baraban et al., 2005 Winter et al., 2008). Exposure... 

Conventional in vivo seizurogenic models like the PTZ model, with its pros and cons, might be replaced by the in vivo zebra fish larvae model in future as a medium/high-throughput in vivo model for detection of seizure liability of drug candidates in early discovery. 

Metscher, B.D. and Ahlberg, P.E. (1999) Zebra fish in context uses of a laboratory model in comparative studies , Developmental Biology, 210, 1-14. 

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