Abstract
Aim
The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatic and circulating expression of miR-155, miR-122 and miR-217 in a model of chronic exposure to ethanol in adult zebrafish.
Methods
Wild-type adult zebrafish were divided into two groups (n = 281): an EG (exposed to 0.5% v/v Ethanol in aquarium water) and a CG (without ethanol). After 28 days the animals were euthanized, followed by histopathological analysis, quantification of lipids, triglycerides and inflammatory cytokines in liver tissue. miR-155, miR-122 and miR-217 gene expression was quantified in liver tissue and serum.
Results
We observed hepatic lesions and increased accumulation of hepatic lipids in the EG. The expression of il-1β was higher in the EG, but there were no differences in il-10 and tnf-α between groups. In the liver, expression of miR-122 and miR-155 was higher in the EG. The circulating expression of miR-155 and miR-217 was significantly higher in the EG.
Conclusion
Chronic exposure to ethanol in zebrafish leads to altered hepatic and circulating expression of miR-155, miR-122 and miR-217. This confirms its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Institutional animal care and use committee statement
The protocols were approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil (No. 14.0160). The protocols were conducted in accordance with international guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. Animal care is described in the manuscript.
Data sharing statement
The technical appendix, statistical code, and dataset are available from the corresponding author at [email protected]. No additional data are available.