Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) is a keystone pathogen in the aetiology of chronic periodontitis. However, recent evidence suggests that the bacterium is also able to enter the bloodstream, interact with host cells and tissues, and ultimately contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here we established a novel zebrafish larvae systemic infection model showing that Pg rapidly adheres to and penetrates the zebrafish vascular endothelium causing a dose- and time-dependent mortality with associated development of pericardial oedemas and cardiac damage. The in vivo model was then used to probe the role of Pg expressed gingipain proteases using systemically delivered gingipain-deficient Pg mutants, which displayed significantly reduced zebrafish morbidity and mortality compared to wild-type bacteria. In addition, we used the zebrafish model to show efficacy of a gingipain inhibitor (KYT) on Pg-mediated systemic disease, suggesting its potential use therapeutically. Our data reveal the first real-time in vivo evidence of intracellular Pg within the endothelium of an infection model and establishes that gingipains are crucially linked to systemic disease and potentially contribute to CVD.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep36023 | DOI Listing |
Front Immunol
January 2025
Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya, Japan.
The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying lymphocyte development are diverse among teleost species. Although recent scRNA-seq analyses of zebrafish hematopoietic cells have advanced our understanding of teleost hematopoiesis, comparative studies using another genetic model, medaka, which is evolutionarily distant among teleosts, is useful for understanding commonality and species-specificity in teleosts. In order to gain insight into how different molecular and cellular mechanisms of lymphocyte development in medaka and zebrafish, we established a () mutant medaka, which exhibited defects in V(D)J rearrangement of lymphocyte antigen receptor genes, accordingly lacking mature B and T cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnim Reprod
January 2025
Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia - PPGBiotec, Universidade Federal do Delta do Parnaíba - UFDPar, Parnaíba, PI, Brasil.
This study aimed to compare the effects of nandrolone decanoate on the morphology and physiology of ovarian tissues in two experimental models, Zebrafish and rats, after in vitro cultivation. A total of 136 animals were used ( rats, n=36, and Zebrafish, n=100). In both experiments, the animals were divided into two groups (Control and Deca) and were exposed to nandrolone decanoate for seven weeks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLife Sci
January 2025
TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China. Electronic address:
Aims: Vertebrates vary greatly in their abilities to regenerate injured hearts. Zebrafish possess a remarkable capacity for cardiac regeneration, making them an excellent model for regeneration research. Recent studies have reported the activation and underlying regulatory mechanisms of leptin b (lepb) and the leptin b-linked enhancer (LEN) in injured hearts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Res Bull
January 2025
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan; Research Institute of Disaster Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan; Health and Disease Omics Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address:
Ischemic stroke (IS) is a pathological condition characterized by the cessation of blood flow due to factors such as thrombosis, inflicting severe damage to the cranial nervous system and resulting in numerous disabilities including memory impairments and hemiplegia. Despite the critical nature of this condition, therapeutic options remain limited, with a pressing challenge being the development of treatments aimed at restoring neurological function. In this study, we leveraged zebrafish, renowned for their exceptional regenerative capabilities, to analyze the pathology of IS and the subsequent recovery process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuroscience
January 2025
Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, United States. Electronic address:
Epilepsy, a neurological disorder causing recurring seizures, is often studied in zebrafish by exposing animals to pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), which induces clonic- and tonic-like behaviors. While adult zebrafish seizure-like behaviors are well characterized, manual assessment remains challenging due to its time-consuming nature, potential for human error/bias, and the risk of overlooking subtle behaviors. Aiming to circumvent these issues, we developed a machine learning model for automating the analysis of subtle abnormal and seizure-like behaviors in PTZ-exposed adult zebrafish.
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