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Which Hyperglycemic Model of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Suites My Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Research? A Scoring System
Aria Salehpour1, Mohammad Rezaei2, Arezoo Khoradmehr1
1The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Bushehr, Iran.
Abstract:
Despite extensive studies on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), there is no definitive cure, drug, or prevention. Therefore, for developing new therapeutics, proper study models of T2DM is necessary to conduct further preclinical researches. Diabetes has been induced in animals using chemical, genetic, hormonal, antibody, viral, and surgical methods or a combination of them. Beside different approaches of diabetes induction, different animal species have been suggested. Although more than 85% of articles have proposed rat (genus Rattus) as the proper model for diabetes induction, zebrafish (Danio rerio) models of diabetes are being used more frequently in diabetes related studies. In this systematic review, we compare different aspects of available methods of inducing hyperglycemia referred as T2DM in zebrafish by utilizing a scoring system. Evaluating 26 approved models of T2DM in zebrafish, this scoring system may help researchers to compare different T2DM zebrafish models and select the best one regarding their own research theme. Eventually, glyoxalase1 (glo1-/-) knockout model of hyperglycemia achieved the highest score. In addition to assessment of hyperglycemic induction methods in zebrafish, eight most commonly proposed diabetic induction approval methods are suggested to help researchers confirm their subsequent proposed models.
Insights
Developing new type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) therapeutics requires effective models. This review compares T2DM induction methods in zebrafish, finding the glyoxalase1 knockout model superior for preclinical research.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases
- Comparative Medicine
- Genetics and Genomics
Background:
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains a significant global health challenge with no definitive cure, necessitating improved preclinical research models.
- Traditional animal models, primarily rats, have limitations, leading to increased interest in alternative models like zebrafish (Danio rerio).
- Developing novel therapeutics for T2DM requires robust and reproducible preclinical study models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and compare various methods for inducing hyperglycemia, modeling T2DM, in zebrafish.
- To introduce a scoring system to evaluate and rank different T2DM zebrafish models based on their efficacy and suitability for research.
- To provide recommendations for selecting appropriate T2DM zebrafish models and validating new induction methods.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review was conducted to identify and analyze 26 approved methods for inducing T2DM-like hyperglycemia in zebrafish.
- A novel scoring system was developed and applied to quantitatively assess and compare the evaluated T2DM zebrafish models.
- Eight commonly proposed methods for approving diabetic induction models were also assessed to aid researchers in validating future models.
Main Results:
- The glyoxalase1 (glo1-/-) knockout zebrafish model demonstrated the highest score among the evaluated hyperglycemia induction methods.
- The scoring system provides a framework for researchers to objectively compare and select T2DM zebrafish models tailored to specific research objectives.
- The study identified and suggested eight key methods for validating newly developed diabetic induction models in zebrafish.
Conclusions:
- Zebrafish models offer a promising alternative for T2DM research, with the glo1-/- knockout model emerging as a highly effective option.
- The developed scoring system and suggested validation methods can significantly aid researchers in advancing preclinical T2DM research.
- Further development and validation of T2DM zebrafish models are crucial for accelerating the discovery of new diabetes treatments.
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