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Danio rerio(zebrafish) is an elective model organism for the study of vertebrate development because of its high degree of homology with human genes and organs, including bone. Zebrafish embryos, because of the optical clarity, small size, and fast development, can be easily used in large-scale mutagenesis experiments to isolate mutants with developmental skeletal defects and in high-throughput screenings to find new chemical compounds for the ability to revert the pathological phenotype. On the other hand, the adult zebrafish represents another powerful resource for pathogenic and therapeutic studies about adult human bone diseases. In fish, some characteristics such as bone turnover, reparation, and remodeling of the adult bone tissue cannot be found at the embryonic stage. Several pathological models have been established in adult zebrafish such as bone injury models, osteoporosis, and genetic diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta. Given the growing interest for metabolic diseases and their complications, adult zebrafish models of type 2 diabetes and obesity have been recently generated and analyzed for bone complications using scales as model system. Interestingly, an osteoporosis-like phenotype has been found to be associated with metabolic alterations suggesting that bone complications share the same mechanisms in humans and fish. Embryo and adult represent powerful resources in rapid development to study bone physiology and pathology from different points of view.

Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been reported to have important biological effects on bone tissue in several in vitro and in vivo models. Danio rerio (zebrafish) embryo is a good model to study osteogenesis because its transparency, size and rapid development. In zebrafish embryo, hydrogen rich water (HRW) do not affect vitality or growth rate up to 15%. In addition, 7% HRW treatment enhances zebrafish embryo osteogenesis increasing vertebral mineralization rate. In conclusion, we demonstrated the beneficial effects of hydrogen on anabolic bone functions in vivo.

Inflammatory bowel disease have been linked to several health issues, including high risk of low bone mineral density. Danio rerio (zebrafish) is a good model to verify the effects of intestinal inflammation since gastrointestinal and immune systems are closely related to that of mammalians. Zebrafish is also a powerful model to study bone metabolism using the scale as read-out model. Food strongly impacts zebrafish gut physiology and it’s well known that soybean meal induces intestinal inflammation. Adult zebrafish fed with defatted soybean meal (SBM) exhibited an intestinal inflammation evidentiated by morphological alterations, inflammatory infiltrate and increased mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TGFβ, TNF-α). The pick of acute intestinal inflammation, spanning between 2nd and 3rd week, correlates with a transitory osteoporosis-like phenotype in the scale border. Later, a chronic inflammatory condition, associated with persistent IL-8 expression, correlates with the progression of resorption lacunae in the scale center. Both type of resorption lacunae were associated with intense osteoclastic tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity. After 3 weeks of SBM treatment, osteoclast activity decreased in scale border but not in the center. At the same time, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is activated in the border to repair the bone matrix. This model can contribute to elucidate in vivo the molecular mechanisms that links intestinal inflammation and bone metabolism in IBD.

After middle age, in human bone, the resorption usually exceeds formation resulting in bone loss and increased risk of fractures in the aged population. Only few in vivo models in higher vertebrates are available for pathogenic and therapeutic studies about bone aging. Among these, male Danio rerio (zebrafish) can be successfully used as low vertebrate model to study degenerative alterations that affect the skeleton during aging, reducing the role of sex hormones.In this paper, we investigated the early bone aging mechanisms in male zebrafish (3, 6, 9 months old) scales evaluating the physiological changes and the effects of prednisolone, a pro-osteoporotic drug.The results evidentiated an age-dependent reduction of the mineralization rate in the fish scales, as highlighted by growing circle measurements. Indeed, the osteoblastic ALP activity at the matrix deposition site was found progressively downregulated.The higher TRAP activity was found in 63% of 9-month-old fish scales associated with resorption lacunae along the scale border. Gene expression analysis evidentiated that an increase of the tnfrsf1b (homolog of human rank) in aging scales may be responsible for resorption stimulation.Interestingly, prednisolone inhibited the physiological growth of the scale and induced in aged scales a more significant bone resorption compared with untreated fish (3.8% vs 1.02%). Bone markers analysis shown a significant reduction of ALP/TRAP ratio due to a prednisolone-dependent stimulation of tnfsf11 (homolog of human rankl) in scales of older fish.The results evidentiated for the first time the presence of a senile male osteoporosis in lower vertebrate. This new model could be helpful to identify the early mechanisms of bone aging and new therapeutic strategies to prevent age-related bone alterations in humans.

The scale of Danio rerio is an ossified tissue which can be analyzed histologically, biochemically and immunohistochemically. In this paper, we describe and characterize the validation of a new colorimetric procedure for the quantification of the calcified component of the fish scale. This method is based on the use of alizarin red S (ARS) that specifically binds calcium of the bone matrix and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a chelating agent that competes with ARS for the binding of calcium. The release of ARS from the scale can be quantified by measuring the absorbance of the alizarin red contained in the EDTA extraction solution since it is proportional to scale calcium content, then it can be considered an index of the degree of mineralization of the scale itself. This new method has been proved to be accurate, precise, based on linear regression and allows a great characterization of scale mineral content. Then, it can be very helpful to evaluate the mineral alterations induced by different pathologies in bone metabolism studies.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Since Danio rerio is a promising animal model to study gut function, we developed a soy‐dependent model of intestinal inflammation in adult zebrafish. The soya bean meal diet was given for 4 weeks and induced an inflammatory process, as demonstrated by morphological changes together with an increased percentage of neutrophils infiltrating the intestinal wall, which developed between the second and fourth week of treatment. Pro‐inflammatory genes such as interleukin‐1beta, interleukin‐8 and tumour necrosis factor alpha were upregulated in the second week and anti‐inflammatory genes such as transforming growth factor beta and interleukin‐10. Interestingly, an additional expression peak was found for interleukin‐8 at the fourth week. Neuronal genes, OTX1 and OTX2, were significantly upregulated in the first two weeks, compatible with the development of the changes in the gut wall. As for the genes of the p53 family such as p53, DNp63 and p73, a statistically significant increase was observed after two weeks of treatment compared with controls. Interestingly, DNp63 and p73 were shown an additional peak after four weeks. Our data demonstrate that soya bean meal diet negatively influences intestinal morphology and immunological function in adult zebrafish showing the features of acute inflammation. Data observed at the fourth week of treatment may suggest initiation of chronic inflammation. Adult zebrafish may represent a promising model to better understand the mechanisms of food‐dependent intestinal inflammation.

Drug and therapies currently used to treat human bone diseases have a lot of severe side effects. Liquiritigenin is a flavonoid extracted from Glycyrrhiza glabra roots which has been reported to have positive effects in vitro on osteoblasts activity and bone mineralization as well as inhibitory effect on osteoclasts differentiation and activity in vitro. The present study was aimed to evaluate the in vivo effects of liquiritigenin on bone structure and metabolism in physiological and pathological conditions using Danio rerio as experimental animal model. Treatments with liquiritigenin were performed on embryos to evaluate the osteogenesis during skeletal development. Other treatments were performed on adult fish affected by glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis to assay the therapeutic potential of liquiritigenin in the reversion of bone-loss phenotype in scale model. Liquiritigenin treatment of zebrafish embryo significantly enhances the osteogenesis during development in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, liquiritigenin inhibits the formation of the osteoporotic phenotype in adult zebrafish model of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis preventing osteoclast activation in scales. Interestingly, liquiritigenin does not counteract the loss of osteoblastic activity in scales. The liquiritigenin exhibits in vivo anti-osteoporotic activity on adult fish scale model. It can be considered a good candidate to develop new drugs against osteoporosis.

An increase of visceral fat affects human bone health causing fragility, mechanical strength reduction, and increased propensity to fractures because of impaired bone matrix microstructure and aberrant bone cell function. Adult Danio rerio (zebrafish) represents a powerful model to study both metabolic diseases and bone metabolism. The aim of this study was to generate an obese adult zebrafish by high-fat diet and evaluate metabolic and bone tissue effects. Fish blood glucose and insulin levels were found to be altered in high-fat diet fish revealing a failure in β-cells insulin production. Blood analysis of adipokines revealed significant alterations in adiponectin and leptin levels that are common in human and other obesity animal models. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), derived from hyperglycemia condition, were found to be altered too. All these alterations were associated with an impaired bone metabolism. The scales of high-fat diet fish shown bone resorption lacunae associated with an intense osteoclastic tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity, whereas alkaline phosphatase (ALP) decreased. These data suggest that an imbalance of fat metabolism alters energy metabolism generating an osteoporosis-like phenotype in adult zebrafish scales. The zebrafish obesity model can contribute to elucidate in vivo the molecular mechanisms of metabolic changes in human obese patients.

New drugs against HIV infection are associated with important side effects, including impaired bone health. An important reduction of bone mineral density has been repeatedly described in adult but not in young patients receiving tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) as part of their antiretroviral regimen. The present study aimed to verify the presence and the characteristics of the adverse effects of TDF on skeletal tissue by using the Danio rerio (zebrafish) model.TDF administration via microinjection in the yolk has been used for embryo study. Water treatment with TDF and scale analysis by morphological, histological and biochemical experiments have been used for adult animals.TDF administration via microinjection in the yolk did not induce any significant effect on mineralization rate and did not produce deformity of the skeletal structure, or growth or vitality impairment of the embryos. TDF exposure in adult zebrafish induced an age-related reduction of the osteoblastic activity marker alkaline phosphatase (up to -44%) and an increase of the osteoclastic activity marker tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (up to +57%) in the scales. Old fish treated with TDF exhibited an osteoporotic-like phenotype with resorption area along the edge of the scale.This study demonstrated that in zebrafish, as in humans, TDF shows a catabolic bone effect related to age and underlined the ultimate utility of using teleost fish as a model to assess the effects of drugs on bone tissue.

The endocannabinoid system (which includes fatty acid derivatives, receptors, and metabolizing enzymes) is involved in a variety of physiological processes, including bone metabolism in which it regulates the function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, as well as differentiation of their precursors. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) provides a useful animal model for bone research since zebrafish bones develop rapidly and are anatomically similar to mammalian bones. Putative orthologues and paralogs of endocannabinoid genes have recently been identified in zebrafish, demonstrating the presence of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2) receptors with affinity to endocannabinoid ligands. To identify therapeutic molecules potentially useful in bone-related diseases, we evaluated the in vivo effects of exposure to long-chain fatty acid amides in adult zebrafish. Using a well-established zebrafish scale model, we found that anandamide and N-linoleoylethanolamine are able to stimulate bone formation by increasing alkaline phosphatase activity in physiological conditions. In addition, they prevent the alteration of bone markers in a prednisolone-induced osteoporosis model in adult zebrafish scales, whereas their esterified forms do not. These data suggest that long-chain fatty acid amides are involved in regulating bone metabolism in zebrafish scales and that the CB2 receptor is a key mediator in this process.

Type II diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia that induce other pathologies including diabetic retinopathy and bone disease. The mechanisms implicated in bone alterations induced by type II diabetes mellitus have been debated for years and are not yet clear because there are other factors involved that hide bone mineral density alterations. Despite this, it is well known that chronic hyperglycemia affects bone health causing fragility, mechanical strength reduction and increased propensity of fractures because of impaired bone matrix microstructure and aberrant bone cells function. Adult Danio rerio (zebrafish) represents a powerful model to study glucose and bone metabolism. Then, the aim of this study was to evaluate bone effects of chronic hyperglycemia in a new type II diabetes mellitus zebrafish model created by glucose administration in the water. Fish blood glucose levels have been monitored in time course experiments and basal glycemia was found increased. After 1 month treatment, the morphology of the retinal blood vessels showed abnormalities resembling to the human diabetic retinopathy. The adult bone metabolism has been evaluated in fish using the scales as read-out system. The scales of glucose-treated fish didn't depose new mineralized matrix and shown bone resorption lacunae associated with an intense osteoclast activity. In addition, hyperglycemic fish scales have shown a significant decrease of alkaline phosphatase activity and increase of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity, in association with alterations in other bone-specific markers. These data indicates an imbalance in bone metabolism, which leads to the osteoporotic-like phenotype visualized through scale mineral matrix staining. The zebrafish model of hyperglycemic damage can contribute to elucidate in vivo the molecular mechanisms of metabolic changes, which influence the bone tissues regulation in human diabetic patients.

Danio rerio (zebrafish), like the Roman god Janus, is an old animal model which is recently emerged and looks to the future with an increasing scientific success. Unlike other traditional animal models, zebrafish represents a versatile way to approach the study of the skeleton. Transparency of the larval stage, genetic manipulability and unique anatomical structures (scales) makes zebrafish a powerful and versatile instrument to investigate the bone tissue in terms of structure and function. Like Janus, zebrafish offers two different faces, or better, two models in one animal: larval and adult stage. The embryo can be used to isolate new genes involved in osteogenesis by large-scale mutagenesis screenings. The behavior of bone cells and genes in osteogenesis can be investigate by using transgenic lines, vital dyes, mutants and traditional molecular biology techniques. The adult zebrafish represents an important resource to study the pathways related to the bone metabolism and turnover. In particular, the properties of the caudal fin allow to study mechanisms of bone regeneration and reparation whereas the elasmoid scale represents an unique tool to investigate the bone metabolism under physiological or pathological conditions.KEYWORDS:bone; fin; mutant; regeneration; scale; transgenic; zebrafish