Establishment of a rotavirus-infected zebrafish model and its application in drug screening
Lijun Song1, Xuemei Zhu2, Yujing Zhou2
1School of pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, Guangdong, China.
Abstract:
Rotavirus (RV) is one of the main pathogens that induce infantile diarrhea and by now no effective drugs are available for RV-induced infantile diarrhea. Thus the development of novel models is of vital importance for the pathological research of RV-induced infantile diarrhea, as well as the progress of the associated treatment strategy. Here we introduced for the first time that RV-Wa strain and RV-SA-11 strain could infect 5 dpf(day post fertilization) and 28 dpf larvae, to induce infantile diarrhea model that was highly consistent with the clinical infection of infants. RV infection significantly changed the signs, survival rate and inflammation of larvae. Some important indicators, including the levels of RV antigen VP4 and VP6, the in vivo RV tracking, and the RV particles were also analyzed, which collectively demonstrated that the model was successfully established. More importantly, we also determined the potentials of the proposed RV-infected zebrafish model for anti-viral drug assessment. In conclusion, we established a RV-infected zebrafish model with formulated relevant indicators both larvae and adult fish, which might be served as a high throughput platform for antiviral drug screening.
Insights
A novel Rotavirus (RV) zebrafish model effectively mimics infantile diarrhea, aiding research and antiviral drug screening. This model tracks RV infection indicators in larvae and adult fish for high-throughput assessment.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Zebrafish models
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Rotavirus (RV) is a primary cause of infantile diarrhea, with no effective treatments currently available.
- Developing new models is crucial for understanding RV pathogenesis and advancing treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a Rotavirus-infected zebrafish model for studying infantile diarrhea.
- To validate the model's utility for antiviral drug screening.
Main Methods:
- Infection of 5 and 28 days post-fertilization (dpf) zebrafish larvae with RV-Wa and RV-SA-11 strains.
- Monitoring of clinical signs, survival rates, and inflammation.
- Analysis of RV antigen levels (VP4, VP6), in vivo tracking, and viral particle quantification.
Main Results:
- Successful induction of an infantile diarrhea model in zebrafish larvae, consistent with human infant infections.
- Significant alterations in larval signs, survival, and inflammation post-RV infection.
- Demonstrated potential for high-throughput antiviral drug screening using the established model.
Conclusions:
- A robust Rotavirus-infected zebrafish model was established, suitable for both larvae and adult fish.
- This model provides a valuable platform for pathological research and high-throughput screening of antiviral drugs against Rotavirus.
