title: Rapid analysis of hypolipidemic drugs in a live zebrafish assay.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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. Zebrafish at 5 d.p.f (days post fertilization) were fed with 0.1% egg yolk for 48 h (hours), followed by drug treatment for 24h or 48 h. Tested drugs were administered into the zebrafish by direct soaking. Drug effect was evaluated based on quantitative analysis of Oil Red O (ORO) in zebrafish vena caudalis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 5 human hypolipidemic drugs (simvastatin, lovastatin, ezetimibe, bezafibrate and hyodesoxycholic acid) showed significant hypolipidemic effects (p<0.01) in a dose-dependent manner in the zebrafish hyperlipidemia model. 'We also found a well-known Chinese tea Pu-erh tea significantly reduced lipids in this model (p<0.001 and p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that the zebrafish hyperlipidemia model developed and validated in this study could be used for in vivo hyperlipidemia studies and drug screening and for assessing hypolipidemic drugs with different mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, PR China; Hunter Biotechnology, Inc., Transfarland, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311231, PR China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Hunter Biotechnology, Inc., Transfarland, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311231, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi-Qiao
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Hunter Biotechnology, Inc., Transfarland, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311231, PR China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Ya
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, PR China; Institute of Watershed Science and Environmental Ecology, Wenzhou Medical, College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325035, PR China; Hunter Biotechnology, Inc., Transfarland, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311231, PR China. Electronic address: chunqili@wzmc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chun-Qi
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001391:Azo Compounds; D001628:Beverages; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013995:Time; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D004396:Coloring Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; C011049:oil red O
keywords: Bezafibrate (PubChem CID: 39042); Ezetimibe (PubChem CID: 150311); High-fat diet; Hyodesoxycholic acid (PubChem CID: 5283820); Hyperlipidemia; Hypolipidemic drugs; Lipid; Lovastatin (PubChem CID: 53232); Oil Red O staining; Simvastatin (PubChem CID: 54454); Zebrafish