Intraperitoneal dye injection method for visualizing the functioning lymphatic vascular system in zebrafish and medaka

Characterizing the adult zebrafish model of Parkinson's disease: a systematic review of dynamic changes in behavior and physiology post-MPTP administration

Introduction

Adult zebrafish are increasingly used in Parkinson's disease (PD) research due to their well-characterized dopaminergic system. Among the toxin-based models, the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is widely utilized to induce parkinsonism in adult zebrafish. Therefore, this review presents an overview of the procedures and the dynamic changes in behavior and physiology observed in the adult zebrafish PD model following a single intraperitoneal injection of MPTP.

Methods

A systematic literature search in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases was conducted to identify relevant articles. Of the 165 articles identified, 9 were included in this review. These chosen articles are original works published before March 2024, all of which utilized adult zebrafish induced with MPTP as the model for PD. Other articles were excluded based on factors such as limited relevance, utilization of zebrafish embryos or larvae instead of adults, and variations in MPTP deliveries.

Results

Studies indicated that the ideal model entails the utilization of mixed gender zebrafish aged between 4 and 6 months from the wild-type strain. The acceptable MPTP doses ranges between 20 μg/g (lowest) and 225 μg/g (highest) and doses above 292 μg/g are lethal. Furthermore, noticeable parkinsonian symptoms appear 1 day after administration and persist for more than 1 week.

Discussion

Mitochondrial dysfunction precedes dopaminergic neurodegeneration within this experimental regime. A single administration of MPTP effectively induces PD in adult zebrafish. This study aids in crafting the adult zebrafish PD model, outlining the progressive behavioral and physiological changes ensuing from MPTP administration.

Role of Lymphangiogenesis in Cardiac Repair and Regeneration

This article highlights the importance of the structure and function of cardiac lymphatics in cardiovascular diseases and the therapeutic potential of cardiac lymphangiogenesis. Specifically, we explore the innate lymphangiogenic response to damaged cardiac tissue or cardiac injury, derive key findings from regenerative models demonstrating how robust lymphangiogenic responses can be supported to improve cardiac function, and introduce an approach to imaging the structure and function of cardiac lymphatics.

Mechanisms and cell lineages in lymphatic vascular development

Lymphatic vessels have critical roles in both health and disease and their study is a rapidly evolving area of vascular biology. The consensus on how the first lymphatic vessels arise in the developing embryo has recently shifted. Originally, they were thought to solely derive by sprouting from veins. Since then, several studies have uncovered novel cellular mechanisms and a diversity of contributing cell lineages in the formation of organ lymphatic vasculature. Here, we review the key mechanisms and cell lineages contributing to lymphatic development, discuss the advantages and limitations of experimental techniques used for their study and highlight remaining knowledge gaps that require urgent attention. Emerging technologies should accelerate our understanding of how lymphatic vessels develop normally and how they contribute to disease.

New reporter zebrafish line unveils heterogeneity among lymphatic endothelial cells during development

BACKGROUND

In zebrafish, lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) originate from multiple/several distinct progenitor populations and generate organ-specific lymphatic vasculatures. Cell fate and tissue specificities were determined using a combination of genetically engineered transgenic lines in which the promoter of a LEC-specific gene drives expression of a fluorescent reporter protein.

RESULTS

We established a novel zebrafish transgenic line expressing eGFP under the control of part of the zebrafish batf3 promoter (Basic Leucine Zipper ATF-Like Transcription Factor 3). Spatiotemporal examination of Tg(batf3MIN:eGFP) transgenic fish revealed a typical lymphatic expression pattern, which does not perfectly recapitulate the expression pattern of existing LEC transgenic lines. eGFP⁺ cells constitute a heterogeneous endothelial cell population, which expressed LEC and/or blood endothelial cells (BEC) markers in different tissues. In addition, we characterize the renal eGFP⁺ cell as a population of interest to study kidney diseases and regeneration.

CONCLUSION

Our Tg(batf3MIN:eGFP) reporter zebrafish line provides a useful system to study LEC populations, of which heterogeneity depends on origin of progenitors, tissue environment and physiological conditions. We further developed a novel fish-adapted tissue clearing method, which allows deep imaging and 3D-visualization of vascular and lymphatic networks in the whole organism.