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Published on: July 17, 2016
Zebrafish as a Model of Cardiac Pathology and Toxicity: Spotlight on Uremic Toxins
Annapaola Coppola1, Patrizia Lombari2, Elvira Mazzella3
1Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy.
Insights
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) significantly increases cardiovascular risk due to uremic solute accumulation. Zebrafish offer a cost-effective, adaptable model for studying CKD-related cardiovascular disease mechanisms and potential therapies.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cardiology
- Toxicology
- Genetics
Background:
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 10% of the global population and is the sixth leading cause of death worldwide.
- Cardiovascular events are the primary cause of mortality in CKD patients, with a tenfold higher risk compared to healthy individuals.
- Uremic solute accumulation in CKD negatively impacts organs, particularly the cardiovascular system, necessitating effective research models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the limitations of current mammalian models in cardiovascular disease research.
- To introduce zebrafish as a viable, advantageous non-mammalian model for studying human diseases.
- To underscore the suitability of zebrafish for investigating cardiovascular disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on CKD, cardiovascular disease, and animal models.
- Comparative analysis of mammalian models versus zebrafish in disease research.
- Identification of zebrafish's key features relevant to cardiovascular research.
Main Results:
- Mammalian models are often expensive and difficult to manipulate for cardiovascular disease studies.
- Zebrafish exhibit high gene function conservation, cost-effectiveness, and ease of genetic manipulation.
- Embryonic cardiac development and toxicological responses in zebrafish closely resemble those in mammals.
Conclusions:
- Zebrafish present a powerful, non-mammalian alternative for studying cardiovascular disease.
- The unique characteristics of zebrafish facilitate research into CKD-related cardiovascular complications.
- This model holds promise for advancing our understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease in CKD patients.
Abstract:
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasing health care problem. About 10% of the general population is affected by CKD, representing the sixth cause of death in the world. Cardiovascular events are the main mortality cause in CKD, with a cardiovascular risk 10 times higher in these patients than the rate observed in healthy subjects. The gradual decline of the kidney leads to the accumulation of uremic solutes with a negative effect on every organ, especially on the cardiovascular system. Mammalian models, sharing structural and functional similarities with humans, have been widely used to study cardiovascular disease mechanisms and test new therapies, but many of them are rather expensive and difficult to manipulate. Over the last few decades, zebrafish has become a powerful non-mammalian model to study alterations associated with human disease. The high conservation of gene function, low cost, small size, rapid growth, and easiness of genetic manipulation are just some of the features of this experimental model. More specifically, embryonic cardiac development and physiological responses to exposure to numerous toxin substances are similar to those observed in mammals, making zebrafish an ideal model to study cardiac development, toxicity, and cardiovascular disease.
