Knockdown Induces Obesity and AHO Features in Early Zebrafish Larvae.

(Guanine Nucleotide-Binding Protein, Alpha Stimulating) is a complex gene that encodes the alpha subunit of the stimulatory G protein (Gα), critical for signaling through various G protein-coupled receptors. Inactivating genetic and epigenetic changes in , resulting in Gα deficiency, cause different variants of pseudohypoparathyroidism, which may manifest features of Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO, a syndrome characterized by early-onset obesity and other developmental defects). Recent findings have linked Gα deficiency with isolated, severe, early-onset obesity, suggesting it as a potential, underrecognized cause of monogenic, non-syndromic obesity.

Imatinib‑ and ponatinib‑mediated cardiotoxicity in zebrafish embryos and H9c2 cardiomyoblasts.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) offer targeted therapy for cancers but can cause severe cardiotoxicities. Determining their dose‑dependent impact on cardiac function is required to optimize therapy and minimize adverse effects. The dose‑dependent cardiotoxic effects of two TKIs, imatinib and ponatinib, were assessed using H9c2 cardiomyoblasts and using zebrafish embryos.

Smoking induced salivary microbiome dysbiosis and is correlated with lipid biomarkers.

Background: The oral microbiome plays an essential role in maintaining oral homeostasis and health; smoking significantly affects it, leading to microbial dysbiosis. The study aims to investigate changes in the oral microbiome composition of smokers in the Qatari population and establish a correlation with lipid biomarkers.

Methods: The oral microbiota was profiled from saliva samples of 200 smokers and 100 non-smokers in the Qatari population, and 16s rRNA V3-V4 region were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform.

Zebrafish Model in Illuminating the Complexities of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders: A Unique Research Tool.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychological condition that may develop in certain individuals following exposure to life-threatening or traumatic events. Distressing symptoms, including flashbacks, are characterized by disrupted stress responses, fear, anxiety, avoidance tendencies, and disturbances in sleep patterns. The enduring effects of PTSD can profoundly impact personal and familial relationships, as well as social, medical, and financial stability.

Exploring the role of oral microbiome dysbiosis in cardiometabolic syndrome and smoking.

Oral microbiome research has gained significant interest in recent years due to its potential impact on overall health. Smoking has been identified as a significant modulator of the oral microbiome composition, leading to dysbiosis and possible health consequences. Research has primarily focused on the association between smoking and oral microbiome, as well as smoking's association with cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS).

The Effects of Spirulina Supplementation on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Narrative Review.

Spirulina ( is a cyanobacterium associated with multiple health benefits. Cardiometabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and diabetes are prevalent yet usually preventable non-communicable diseases. Modifiable risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases include excessive body weight, body inflammation, atherogenic lipid profile, and imbalanced glucose metabolism.

Zebrafish () as a Model for the Study of Developmental and Cardiovascular Toxicity of Electronic Cigarettes.

The increasing popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as an alternative to conventional tobacco products has raised concerns regarding their potential adverse effects. The cardiovascular system undergoes intricate processes forming the heart and blood vessels during fetal development. However, the precise impact of e-cigarette smoke and aerosols on these delicate developmental processes remains elusive.

Testing the Anticancer Effect of Matcha Using Zebrafish as an Animal Model.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients show the poorest prognosis and survival and the highest metastasis prevalence among all breast cancer subtypes. Matcha has recently been associated with multiple health benefits, and in vitro studies showed the potential effect of matcha in inhibiting cancer development and metastasis. We aimed to determine the safe, non-toxic dose of matcha suitable for zebrafish and to investigate the anticancer effect of matcha on the metastasis and growth of human TBNC cells using a zebrafish xenograft model.

The therapeutic potential of matcha tea: A critical review on human and animal studies.

Matcha is a powdered form of Japanese green tea that has been gaining global popularity recently. Matcha tea has various health benefits, including an enhancing effect on cognitive function, cardio-metabolic health, and anti-tumorogenesis. To date, randomized clinical trials (RCT) showed that matcha decreases stress, slightly enhances attention and memory, and has no effect on mood.

Developmental Toxicity of Surface-Modified Gold Nanorods in the Zebrafish Model.

Background: nanotechnology is one of the fastest-growing areas, and it is expected to have a substantial economic and social impact in the upcoming years. Gold particles (AuNPs) offer an opportunity for wide-ranging applications in diverse fields such as biomedicine, catalysis, and electronics, making them the focus of great attention and in parallel necessitating a thorough evaluation of their risk for humans and ecosystems. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate the acute and developmental toxicity of surface-modified gold nanorods (AuNRs), on zebrafish () early life stages.

Design and Microinjection of Morpholino Antisense Oligonucleotides and mRNA into Zebrafish Embryos to Elucidate Specific Gene Function in Heart Development.

The morpholino oligomer-based knockdown system has been used to identify the function of various gene products through loss or reduced expression. Morpholinos (MOs) have the advantage in biological stability over DNA oligos because they are not susceptible to enzymatic degradation. For optimal effectiveness, MOs are injected into 1-4 cell stage embryos.

Reduced Cardiotoxicity of Ponatinib-Loaded PLGA-PEG-PLGA Nanoparticles in Zebrafish Xenograft Model.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the new generation of anti-cancer drugs with high potential against cancer cells' proliferation and growth. However, TKIs are associated with severe cardiotoxicity, limiting their clinical value. One TKI that has been developed recently but not explored much is Ponatinib.

Physiological Changes and Interactions Between Microbiome and the Host During Pregnancy.

In recent years, it has become clear that microbiome play a variety of essential roles in human metabolism, immunity, and overall health and that the composition of these microbiome is influenced by our environment, diet, weight, hormones, and other factors. Indeed, numerous physiological and pathological conditions, including obesity and metabolic syndrome, are associated with changes in our microbiome, referred to as dysbiosis. As a result, it is not surprising that such changes occur during pregnancy, which includes substantial weight gain and significant changes in metabolism and immune defenses.

Effect of Water-Pipe Smoking on the Normal Development of Zebrafish.

Background: Among all types of tobacco consumption, Water-Pipe Smoking (WPS) is the most widely used in the Middle East and second-most in several other countries. The effect of WPS on normal development is not yet fully understood, thus the aim of this study is to explore the acute toxicity effects of WPS extract on zebrafish larvae.

Methods: In this study, we compared the effects of WPS smoke condensates at concentrations varying from 50 to 200 µg/mL on developmental, cardiac, and behavioural (neurotoxicity) functions.

The Effect of Surface-Modified Gold Nanorods on the Early Stage of Embryonic Development and Angiogenesis: Insight into the Molecular Pathways.

Gold nanorods have been implicated in several biomedical applications. Herein, the effect of two surface-modified gold nanorods on the early stages of embryogenesis and angiogenesis was investigated using avian embryos at three days and their chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) at five days of incubation. We found that gold nanorods (GNR) modified with PEGylated phospholipid moiety show a high mortality rate in embryos after four days of exposure compared to GNR modified with PEGylated cholesterol moiety.

Cardiac function and blood flow hemodynamics assessment of zebrafish (Danio rerio) using high-speed video microscopy.

Background: In the last few decades, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were introduced as a model organism to investigate human diseases including cardiovascular and neuronal disorders. In most zebrafish investigations, cardiac function and blood flow hemodynamics need to be assessed to study the effects of the interference on the cardiovascular system. For heart function assessment, most important parameters include heart rate, cardiac output, ejection fraction, fractional area change, and fractional shortening.

Adaptation of a Mice Doppler Echocardiography Platform to Measure Cardiac Flow Velocities for Embryonic Chicken and Adult Zebrafish.

Ultrasonography is the most widely used imaging technique in cardiovascular medicine. In this technique, a piezoelectric crystal produces, sends, and receives high frequency ultrasound waves to the body to create an image of internal organs. It enables practical real time visualization in a non-invasive manner, making the modality especially useful to image dynamic cardiac structures.

Ecotoxicological Assessment of Thermally- and Hydrogen-Reduced Graphene Oxide/TiO₂ Photocatalytic Nanocomposites Using the Zebrafish Embryo Model.

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have recently attracted great interest in water pollution management. Using the zebrafish embryo model, we investigated the environmental impacts of two thermally (RGOTi)- and hydrogen (H₂RGOTi)-reduced graphene oxide/TiO₂ semiconductor photocatalysts recently employed in AOPs. For this purpose, acutoxicity, cardiotoxicity, neurobehavioral toxicity, hematopoietic toxicity, and hatching rate were determinate.

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) dysregulation in cancer.

Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are known for their ability to catalyze methylation of specific arginine residues in a wide variety of cellular proteins, which are involved in a plethora of processes including signal transduction, transcription, and more recently DNA recombination. All members of the PRMT family can be grouped into three main classes depending on the type of methylation they catalyze. Type I PRMTs induce monomethylation and asymmetric dimethylation, while type II PRMTs catalyze monomethylation and symmetric dimethylation of specific arginine residues.

Using Zebrafish for Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms of Drug-Induced Cardiotoxicity.

Over the last decade, the zebrafish () has emerged as a model organism for cardiovascular research. Zebrafish have several advantages over mammalian models. For instance, the experimental cost of using zebrafish is comparatively low; the embryos are transparent, develop externally, and have high fecundity making them suitable for large-scale genetic screening.

Towards understanding the mechanisms of actions of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 6 in cancer progression.

Human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is the prototypic member of a family of highly related cell surface glycoproteins that includes carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 6 (CEACAM6) and others. CEACAM6 (formerly NCA), which belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily, is a cell adhesion protein of the CEA family. It is normally expressed on the epithelial surfaces and on the surface of myeloid cells (CD66c).

A wearable wound moisture sensor as an indicator for wound dressing change: an observational study of wound moisture and status.

Wound moisture is known to be a key parameter to ensure optimum healing conditions in wound care. This study tests the moisture content of wounds in normal practice in order to observe the moisture condition of the wound at the point of dressing change. This study is also the first large-scale observational study that investigates wound moisture status at dressing change.