Zebra fish model of obesity: Relevance to metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Aim: Recently, the application of zebrafish as an experimental animal model has significantly increased, especially model for obesity. The aim of this research is to reveal the association between high-fat-diet-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome on the zebrafish model. Materials and Methods: Male zebra fish were used in this study. Acclimatization period was performed for 2 weeks when all fish received standard diet intake. Post acclimatization, zebra fish were divided into normal group and obese group. For 4 weeks, normal group received normal diet while the obese group received high-fat diet. Measurement parameters including body mass index (BMI) and blood biochemical parameters. Liver histopathological analysis was performed to observe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Results and Discussion: Zebra fish were divided into two groups such as normal group and obese group. Zebra fish were fed following the protocol for 4 weeks. Obese zebra fish showed increased of BMI and blood biochemical parameters compared to the normal group. In addition, excessive fat accumulation in obese zebrafish liver gave a contribution on the elevated NAFLD based on the histopathological study. Conclusion: It can be concluded that high-fat-diet-induced obesity on zebrafish has a strong association with metabolic syndrome.