Microinjection is a widely used technique to inject defined volumes and concentrations of substances and explore their physiological function in vivo. The technique has been particularly successful with zebrafish embryos; however, the injection equipment can be relatively expensive and therefore available only to well-funded laboratories. In this study, a simple, cheap, easy-to-assemble, and easy-to-use setup with a straightforward, accurate, and efficacious calibration method is introduced. The accuracy of this calibration method was tested by comparing with the results of calibration methods that are currently used in high-cost systems. Injection success with this low-cost system was verified based on the presence of injected dyes in zebrafish embryos, the absence of any significant morphological and behavioral differences between 3,4,-dichloroaniline-treated and untreated embryos, and larval viability.

Introduction: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease and is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. Vascular plaques are formed on the inner surface of hardened arteries and gradually develop, reducing the diameter of the arteries. CXCR4 is one of the most important chemokine receptors, whose presence has been confirmed in cardiac plaques. Our aim was to determine the relationship between genetic diversity of CXCR4 gene (rs2228014) and atherosclerosis among the population of patients. Methods: The present study included 254 participants who referred to the Cardiac Angiography Department of Afshar Hospital in Yazd City. The main criteria for admission to the case group were coronary artery stenosis with angiography testing, and in the control group, the clients did not have coronary artery disease. The age and sex matching of the two groups were considered. Blood specimens were taken, and after DNA extraction, the SNP genotype of the CXCR4 gene was determined using ARMS-PCR. Statistical analysis of the data carried out using SPSS software version 19 and Chi-square test. Results: Genetic models of rs2228014 variant were evaluated in patients with atherosclerosis in comparison with the control group and a significant difference between allelic (P = 0.333), homozygous (P = 0.087), heterozygous (P = 849.0), dominant (P = 0.570) and recessive (P = 0.086) genetic models of rs2228014 polymorphism was not observed. Conclusion: In the current study, no significant difference was observed between genetic models of rs222801 polymorphism in patients with atherosclerosis and healthy individuals. Based on our findings, the rs222801 polymorphism of the CXCR4 gene might not be considered as a predisposing factor for atherosclerosis.