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Locomotor Assessment of 6-Hydroxydopamine-induced Adult Zebrafish-based Parkinson's Disease Model
Published on: December 28, 2021
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Parkinson's disease model in zebrafish using intraperitoneal MPTP injection.
Noor Azzizah Omar1,2, Jaya Kumar3, Seong Lin Teoh1
1Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|September 11, 2023
Summary
A single MPTP injection in zebrafish effectively models Parkinson's disease (PD) features. Delayed assessment on days 3-5 reveals significant changes in motor function and neuronal markers, establishing a reliable PD animal model.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Toxicology
- Zebrafish models
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder impacting patient quality of life.
- 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) exposure mimics key PD features, including behavioral and molecular changes.
- Zebrafish offer a valuable vertebrate model for studying neurodegenerative diseases due to their genetic homology and rapid development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and validate a protocol for inducing Parkinson's disease (PD) in adult zebrafish using MPTP.
- To compare the efficacy of single versus repeated MPTP injections in modeling PD.
- To identify optimal time points for assessing PD-related changes in zebrafish.
Main Methods:
- Adult zebrafish were administered MPTP intraperitoneally, either once or twice, at a dose of 100 μg/g.
- Locomotor activity, gene expression (tyrosine hydroxylase-1, tyrosine hydroxylase-2, dopamine transporter), protein levels (caspase-3, glutathione), and dopaminergic neuron counts (TH+ cells) were assessed over 30 days.
- Comparisons were made between single and repeated MPTP injection groups, as well as between injected and control groups.
Main Results:
- A single MPTP injection induced significant changes in swimming speed, distance traveled, gene expression, protein levels, and dopaminergic neuron counts over 30 days.
- The most pronounced PD-related alterations were observed on days 3 and 5 post-injection.
- No significant differences were found between single and repeated injections for most parameters, except for caspase-3 levels on day 1.
Conclusions:
- A single MPTP injection protocol with assessment at days 3-5 provides a robust and reproducible model for Parkinson's disease in zebrafish.
- This model effectively captures behavioral and molecular hallmarks of PD, suitable for preclinical research.
- Zebrafish serve as an effective model for investigating PD pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies.
