Zebrafish as a Tool for Studying Inflammation: A Systematic Review

Abstract Danio rerio (zebrafish) is a suitable animal model that has been used to model a wide range of diseases such as aquaculture-relevant infectious agents and inflammatory processes. This study reviewed methods employed to study inflammation in zebrafish to reveal its usefulness in modeling inflammation. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Lilacs databases were searched for original research articles published until February 18, 2020, using the keywords “inflammation” AND “zebrafish.” Of the 3001 articles identified, 60 were included in this study. These included articles that compiled the methods used to induce inflammation with the most frequently used methodologies being tail fin injury and immersion in inflammatory solution. Moreover, the effectiveness of the methodology was confirmed by the increase in inflammatory cells (macrophages and neutrophils), enhanced levels of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8), and chemokines (CXCL18-l1). These results confirmed that inflammatory processes in zebrafish are similar to those in other animal species, such as catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and mammals. Therefore, zebrafish can be used to screen new anti-inflammatory agents and elucidate the pathway and pathology of inflammation, which can also be translated to other fishes and help to prevent fish diseases, resulting in a positive impact on the aquaculture economy.