The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is considered the largest immunological organ in the body having a central role in regulating immune homeostasis. Contrary to earlier belief, the intestinal epithelial barrier is not a static physical barrier but rather strongly interacts with the gut microbiome and cells of the immune system. This intense communication between epithelial cells, immune cells and microbiome will shape specific immune responses to antigens, balancing tolerance and effector immune functions. Recent studies indicate that composition of the gut microbiome affects immune system development and modulates immune mediators, which in turn affect the intestinal barrier. Moreover, dysbiosis may favor intestinal barrier disruption and could be related to increased susceptibility to certain diseases. This review will be focused on the development of the intestinal barrier and its function in host immune defense and how gut microbiome composition throughout life can affect this role.

The ingest of diets with high content of fats and carbohydrates, low or no physical exercise and a stressful routine are part of the everyday lifestyle of most people in the western world. These conditions are triggers for different diseases with complex interactions between the host genetics, the metabolism, the immune system and the microbiota, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), obesity and diabetes. The incidence of these disorders is growing worldwide; therefore, new strategies for its study are needed. Nowadays, the majority of researches are in use of murine models for understand the genetics, physiopathology and interaction between cells and signaling pathways to find therapeutic solutions to these diseases. The zebrafish, a little tropical water fish, shares 70% of our genes and conserves anatomic and physiological characteristics, as well as metabolical pathways, with mammals, and is rising as a new complementary model for the study of metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Its high fecundity, fast development, transparency, versatility and low cost of maintenance makes the zebrafish an interesting option for new researches. In this review, we offer a discussion of the existing genetic and induced zebrafish models of two important Western diseases that have a strong inflammatory component, the IBD and the obesity. Core tip:The western lifestyle with a high fat and carbohydrates diet, lack of physical activity and stress, is a trigger for different diseases with complex interactions between the host genetics, the metabolism, the immune system and the microbiota, as the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obesity and diabetes. The zebrafish has 70% homology with our genes, shares anatomic and physiological characteristics with mammals, and emerges as a new model for the study of metabolic and inflammatory diseases. In this review, we examine the existing genetic and induced zebrafish models of two important Western diseases with strong inflammatory component, IBD and obesity.Morales Fénero CI, Colombo Flores AA, Câmara NOS. Inflammatory diseases modelling in zebrafish. World J Exp Med 2016; 6(1): 9-20 Available from:

Animals have developed strategies to respond to pathogens to avoid tissue injuries, but these strategies vary greatly among species such as mammals, amphibians and fishes. 1 Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a teleost fish that, in contrast to mammals, present a high regenerative capacity even considering complex tissues, such as heart, retina, brain, spinal cord and fins. [2][3][4] It represents a relatively new animal model to study different aspects of biology mainly due to some aspects such as high fertility, rapid development, lower cost and maintenance space and the ease of genome editing. 5 Taking into

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