PUBLICATION

Alternate Immersion in an External Glucose Solution Differentially Affects Blood Sugar Values in Older Versus Younger Zebrafish Adults

Authors
Connaughton, V.P., Baker, C., Fonde, L., Gerardi, E., Slack, C.
ID
ZDB-PUB-160116-2
Date
2016
Source
Zebrafish   13(2): 87-94 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Connaughton, Victoria P.
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Age Factors
  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose/analysis*
  • Carbohydrate Metabolism/drug effects
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Glucose/pharmacology*
  • Hyperglycemia/physiopathology*
  • Immersion
  • Male
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
26771444 Full text @ Zebrafish
Abstract
Recently, zebrafish have been used to examine hyperglycemia-induced complications (retinopathy and neuropathy), as would occur in individuals with diabetes. Current models to induce hyperglycemia in zebrafish include glucose immersion and streptozotocin injections. Both are effective, although neither is reported to elevate blood sugar values for more than 1 month. In this article, we report differences in hyperglycemia induction and maintenance in young (4-11 months) versus old (1-3 years) zebrafish adults. In particular, older fish immersed in an alternating constant external glucose solution (2%) for 2 months displayed elevated blood glucose levels for the entire experimental duration. In contrast, younger adults displayed only transient hyperglycemia, suggesting the fish were acclimating to the glucose exposure protocol. However, modifying the immersion protocol to include a stepwise increasing glucose concentration (from 1% → 2%→3%) resulted in maintained hyperglycemia in younger zebrafish adults for up to 2 months. Glucose-exposed younger fish collected after 8 weeks of exposure also displayed a significant decrease in wet weight. Taken together, these data suggest different susceptibilities to hyperglycemia in older and younger fish and that stepwise increasing glucose concentrations of 1% are required for maintenance of hyperglycemia in younger adults, with higher concentrations of glucose resulting in greater increases in blood sugar values.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping