Studying ototoxicity in zebrafish

Ototoxicity is the adverse reaction in the auditory system caused by exposure to xenobiotics. Animal models have been used to improve the understanding of ototoxicity research. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a model animal that is being increasingly used in ototoxicity research. Here, we identified and map the evidence on the use of zebrafish as an animal model to study ototoxicity. We conducted an exploratory systematic search in the three databases (Cochrane, LILACS, and PubMed) with a two-step screening process based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Outcome measures of included nondrug xenobiotics studies (n = 15) and drugs (n = 118) were grouped into hair cell death rate, exposure time, and developmental stages. Our review indicates zebrafish to be an important model to screen the ototoxicity potential of xenobiotics but also demonstrates that novel studies are necessary to define the most appropriate evaluation outcomes and specific protocol.