A duplex nested RT-PCR method for monitoring porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and porcine delta-coronavirus.

Background: Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine delta-coronavirus (PDCoV) are economically important pathogens that cause diarrhea in sows and acute death of newborn piglets. Moreover, the emerging PDCoV was reported to infect children. The current situation is that vaccine prevention has not met expectations, and emergency containment strategies following outbreaks cannot prevent the damages and losses already incurred.

Validation, Optimization, and Application of the Zebrafish Developmental Toxicity Assay for Pharmaceuticals Under the ICH S5(R3) Guideline.

The zebrafish as an alternative animal model for developmental toxicity testing has been extensively investigated, but its assay protocol was not harmonized yet. This study has validated and optimized the zebrafish developmental toxicity assay previously reported by multiple inter-laboratory studies in the United States and Europe. In this study, using this classical protocol, of 31 ICH-positive compounds, 23 compounds (74.

Cardiotoxicity induced by Cochinchina momordica seed extract in zebrafish.

Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng is an indigenous South Asian edible fruit, and seeds of Momordica cochinchinensis have been used therapeutically in traditional Chinese medicine. Previous studies have shown that M.

Probiotics Modulate Intestinal Motility and Inflammation in Zebrafish Models.

This study was aimed to assess effects of three strains of probiotics NCFM, HN001, and subsp Bi-07 on the intestinal motility and inflammation in the zebrafish models. The intestinal motility model was established using 5 days postfertilization (dpf) zebrafish administered with a fluorescent dye Nile red at 10 ng/mL for 16 h, followed by probiotics treatment for 24 h and the intestinal motility was inversely proportional to the intestinal fluorescence intensity that was quantitatively measured by image analysis. The intestinal inflammation was induced by treating 3 dpf neutrophil fluorescent zebrafish with 0.

Developmental neurotoxicity and toxic mechanisms induced by olaquindox in zebrafish.

Olaquindox (OLA) has been widely used as an animal feed additive in China for decades; however, its toxicity and toxic mechanisms have not been well investigated. In this study, the developmental neurotoxicity and toxic mechanisms of OLA were evaluated in zebrafish. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations of OLA (25-1,000 mg/L) from 6 to 120 hours post fertilization (hpf).

Ponatinib-induced ischemic stroke in larval zebrafish for drug screening.

Conventional mammalian ischemic stroke models for drug screening are technically challenging, laborious and time-consuming. In this study, using Ponatinib as an inducer, we developed and characterized a zebrafish ischemic stroke model. This zebrafish ischemic stroke had the cerebral vascular endothelial injury, thrombosis, reduced blood flow, inflammation and apoptosis as well as the reduced motility.

Fenobucarb-induced developmental neurotoxicity and mechanisms in zebrafish.

Fenobucarb (2-sec-butylphenyl methylcarbamate, BPMC) is an extensively used carbamate insecticide. Its developmental neurotoxicity and the underlying mechanisms have not been well investigated. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to various concentrations of BPMC from 6 hpf (hours post fertilization, hpf) to 120 hpf.

Development of zebrafish demyelination model for evaluation of remyelination compounds and RORγt inhibitors.

RAR-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) directs differentiation of proinflammatory T helper 17 cells and is a potential therapeutic target for chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases including multiple sclerosis. In this study, zebrafish at days post fertilization treated with ethidium bromide (EB) at a concentration of 75 μM for 72 h were determined as the optimum conditions for the demyelination model development. Zebrafish motility was recorded automatically using a video-track motion detector and quantitative myelin assay was measured by FluoroMyelin staining.

Fenobucarb induces heart failure and cerebral hemorrhage in zebrafish.

The potential risk and toxic mechanisms of fenobucarb (2-sec-butylphenyl methylcarbamate, BPMC) to animals and humans have not been fully elucidated. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to various concentrations of BPMC from 48 hpf (hour post fertilization, hpf) to 72 hpf. We found that BPMC induced severe heart failure with bradycardia, reduced heart contractions, cardiac output and blood flow dynamics；and myocardial apoptosis.

A Zebrafish Heart Failure Model for Assessing Therapeutic Agents.

Heart failure is a leading cause of death and the development of effective and safe therapeutic agents for heart failure has been proven challenging. In this study, taking advantage of larval zebrafish, we developed a zebrafish heart failure model for drug screening and efficacy assessment. Zebrafish at 2 dpf (days postfertilization) were treated with verapamil at a concentration of 200 μM for 30 min, which were determined as optimum conditions for model development.

[Hemostatic Effect of Spleen-invigorating, Qi-replenishing and Blood-containing Formula on Simvastatin-induced Zebrafish Hemorrhage Model].

Objective: To investigate the hemostatic effect of spleen-invigorating, qi-replenishing and blood-containing formula on simvastatin-induced zebrafish hemorrhage model, and to compare with the effect of clearing heat and cooling blood formula.

Methods: Zebrafishes from breed A B line were treated with 0.5 µmol/L simvastatin for 24 hours to establish zebrafishes hemorrhage model.

Total Syntheses and Biological Activities of Vinylamycin Analogues.

Natural depsipeptide vinylamycin was reported to be an antibiotic previously. Herein we report vinylamycin to be active against K562 leukemia cells (IC = 4.86 μM) and be unstable in plasma (t = 0.

A Zebrafish Thrombosis Model for Assessing Antithrombotic Drugs.

Thrombosis is a leading cause of death and the development of effective and safe therapeutic agents for thrombotic diseases has been proven challenging. In this study, taking advantage of the transparency of larval zebrafish, we developed a larval zebrafish thrombosis model for drug screening and efficacy assessment. Zebrafish at 2 dpf (days post fertilization) were treated with phenylhydrazine (PHZ) and a testing drug for 24 h.

Closantel Suppresses Angiogenesis and Cancer Growth in Zebrafish Models.

Angiogenesis has emerged as an important therapeutic target in several major diseases, including cancer and age-related macular degeneration. The zebrafish offer the potential for high-throughput drug discovery in a whole vertebrate system. In this study, we have taken advantage of the transgenic Tg (fli1a:EGFP) zebrafish line to screen the U.

Bioactive C21 Steroidal Glycosides from the Roots of Cynanchum otophyllum That Suppress the Seizure-like Locomotor Activity of Zebrafish Caused by Pentylenetetrazole.

Six new C21 steroidal glycosides, cynotophyllosides A-F (1-6), together with 16 known compounds, were isolated from the roots of Cynanchum otophyllum. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. The three major components, otophylloside F (15), otophylloside B (17), and rostratamine 3-O-β-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-cymaropyranoside (18), suppressed the seizure-like locomotor activity caused by pentylenetetrazole in zebrafish.

Toxicity induced by Basic Violet 14, Direct Red 28 and Acid Red 26 in zebrafish larvae.

Basic Violet 14, Direct Red 28 and Acid Red 26 are classified as carcinogenic dyes in the European textile ecology standard, despite insufficient toxicity data. In this study, the toxicity of these dyes was assessed in a zebrafish model, and the underlying toxic mechanisms were investigated. Basic Violet 14 and Direct Red 28 showed acute toxicity with a LC50 value at 60.

Rapid analysis of hypolipidemic drugs in a live zebrafish assay.

Introduction: Hyperlipidemia is the most common form of dyslipidemia, which is the key risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke. The development of effective and safe drug treatments for hyperlipidemia has been proven challenging.

Methods: In this study, taking advantage of the transparency of larval zebrafish, we developed a zebrafish hyperlipidemia model for drug screening and efficacy assessment.

Tween-80 and impurity induce anaphylactoid reaction in zebrafish.

A number of recent reports suspected that Tween-80 in injectable medicines, including traditional Chinese medicine injections could cause life-threatening anaphylactoid reaction, but no sound conclusion was drawn. A drug-induced anaphylactoid reaction is hard to be assayed in vitro and in conventional animal models. In this study, we developed a microplate-based quantitative in vivo zebrafish assay for assessing anaphylactoid reaction and live whole zebrafish mast cell tryptase activity was quantitatively measured at a wavelength of 405 nm using N-benzoyl-dl-arginine p-nitroanilide as a substrate.

Developmental toxicity of diclofenac and elucidation of gene regulation in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Environmental pollution by emerging contaminants, e.g. pharmaceuticals, has become a matter of widespread concern in recent years.

Zebrafish models for assessing developmental and reproductive toxicity.

The zebrafish is increasingly used as a vertebrate animal model for in vivo drug discovery and for assessing chemical toxicity and safety. Numerous studies have confirmed that zebrafish and mammals are similar in their physiology, development, metabolism and pathways, and that zebrafish responses to toxic substances are highly predictive of mammalian responses. Developmental and reproductive toxicity assessments are an important part of new drug safety profiling.

6'-O-Caffeoylarbutin inhibits melanogenesis in zebrafish.

6'-O-Caffeoylarbutin, an arbutin derivative, is a naturally occurring glucoside of hydroquinone from Vaccinium dunalianum. On anti-melanogenic effect assay, 6'-O-caffeoylarbutin expressed a stronger anti-melanin activity in a dose-dependent manner with about a two-fold more than that of arbutin, but with less toxicity about a two-fold lower than that of arbutin. In addition, melanin synthesis could be fully recovered after the removal of 6'-O-caffeoylarbutin.

Aequorivita viscosa sp. nov., isolated from an intertidal zone, and emended descriptions of Aequorivita antarctica and Aequorivita capsosiphonis.

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, short rod-shaped, non-motile and non-sporulating bacterium, designed strain 8-1b(T), was isolated from seaweed collected from the intertidal zone of Zhoushan sea area, East China Sea. Strain 8-1b(T) grew at 4-39 °C (optimum, 28-32 °C) and at pH 6.0-9.

Human cardiotoxic drugs delivered by soaking and microinjection induce cardiovascular toxicity in zebrafish.

Cardiovascular toxicity is a major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry and predictive screening models to identify and eliminate pharmaceuticals with the potential to cause cardiovascular toxicity in humans are urgently needed. In this study, taking advantage of the transparency of larval zebrafish, Danio rerio, we assessed cardiovascular toxicity of seven known human cardiotoxic drugs (aspirin, clomipramine hydrochloride, cyclophosphamide, nimodipine, quinidine, terfenadine and verapamil hydrochloride) and two non-cardiovascular toxicity drugs (gentamicin sulphate and tetracycline hydrochloride) in zebrafish using six specific phenotypic endpoints: heart rate, heart rhythm, pericardial edema, circulation, hemorrhage and thrombosis. All the tested drugs were delivered into zebrafish by direct soaking and yolk sac microinjection, respectively, and cardiovascular toxicity was quantitatively or qualitatively assessed at 4 and 24 h post drug treatment.