title: Use of zebrafish as a model to investigate the role of epigenetics in propagating the secondary complications observed in diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is classified as a disease of metabolic dysregulation predicted to affect over 400 million individuals world-wide by 2030. The debilitating aspects of this disease are the long term complications involving microvascular and macrovascular pathologies. These long term complications are related to the clinical phenomenon of metabolic memory (MM) that is defined as the persistence of diabetic complications even after glycemic control has been pharmacologically achieved. The persistent nature of MM has invoked involvement of epigenetic processes. Current research with the DM/MM zebrafish model as described in this review as well as human and mammalian studies has established that changes in DNA methylation patterns appear to contribute to tissue dysfunctions associated with DM. This review will describe studies on an adult zebrafish model of type I diabetes mellitus that allows analysis of both the hyperglycemic (HG or DM) phase and MM phase of the disease. The review will discuss the model in regards to: 1) its hyperglycemic phase, 2) its MM phase, 3) biochemical õpathways underlying changes in DNA methylation patterns observed in the model, 4) loci specific changes in DNA methylation patterns, and 5) strengths of the adult zebrafish model as compared to other MM animal models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: michael.sarras@rosalindfranklin.edu.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sarras
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address: Leontovich.Alexey@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Alexey A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Leontovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Dr. William M. School College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: robert.intine@rosalindfranlkin.edu.
authors.forename: Robert V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Intine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000235:genetics*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000235:genetics*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Diabetes; Epigenetics; Metabolic memory; Zebrafish