Innovative high fat diet establishes a novel zebrafish model for the study of visceral obesity

Abstract

Obesity is a complex chronic condition associated with multiple health risks, including visceral obesity, which is particularly detrimental. To gain insight into the mechanisms underlying obesity and its associated pathologies, a novel zebrafish model was established using an innovative high-fat diet (HFD). The primary goal was to induce visceral obesity in zebrafish and study the associated structural changes. To achieve this, a unique HFD consisting of 40% beef fat (HFD40) was developed and supplemented with magnesium aluminometasilicate to improve stability in a high humidity environment. Feeding regimens were initiated for both juvenile (starting at 2 weeks post-fertilization, lasting 18 weeks) and adult zebrafish (3 months post-fertilization, 8 weeks feeding duration). The innovative dietary approach successfully induced visceral obesity in both juvenile and adult zebrafish. This new model provides a valuable tool to study obesity-related pathologies, metabolic syndrome, and potential therapeutic interventions. Most importantly, the low-cost and easy-to-prepare composition of HFD40 was seamlessly incorporated into the water without the need for separation, was readily absorbed by the fish and induced rapid weight gain in the zebrafish population. In conclusion, this study presents a novel HFD40 composition enriched with a high beef fat concentration (40%), which represents a significant advance in the development of an experimental zebrafish model for the study of visceral obesity and associated metabolic changes.

Zebrafish as a Model for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease: The Future of Precision Medicine

“…Zebrafish research has yielded genuinely innovative discoveries in the field of obesity [ 158 , 159 ]. Recent research, for instance, has uncovered a mechanism of PLXND1, a gene linked in population genetics studies to variations in the distribution of fat between the hips and waists in humans and an elevated risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) [ 160 ].…”