Zebrafish model to validate toxicity and teratogenic protocols platform of assays for nanotech, biomedical and pharmaceutical drugs

M. NATALIA CALIENNI; SILVIA DEL V. ALONSO; M. JIMENA PRIETO

Mar del Plata

Congreso; VIII Encuentro Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Biotecnología; 2013

Redbio Argentina

Zebrafish model represents an alternative model of growing interest in pharmaceutics, biomedics and environmental issues. The selection is based on multiple advantages compared with other animal models, because of its genetic homology with humans, and their similarities with mammal organs and cell types. The main objective was to establish protocols platform of assays and then to be validated for a great variety of pharmaceutical drugs. This platform could be used to determine the toxicity degree, not only as lethal dose 50 (LD50) and its implication in zebrafish morphology, but also the effect of physical and chemical agents derived from nanotech compounds on zebrafish model. Morphological changes were followed up with optical microscopy in exposed embryos, to determine LD50 and teratogenic dose 50 (TD50) at 24 and 48 hours post-fecundation. By means of spontaneous swimming, as toxicity parameter in larvae, the locomotive activity 50 (ALC50) was determined by a wMicrotracker instrument, using an infrared irradiation system. Possible relationships between neurological and visual problems with morphological changes were looked upon in zebrafish larvae. Also, cardiotoxicity degree in larvae was studied as beats/minutes. Standard drugs to validate the protocols were ethanol and copper sulphate and as control for nanoparticles, commercial dendrimers.