Submitted May 22, 2006
Accepted August 7, 2006
A transgenic zebrafish model of neutrophilic inflammation
Stephen A Renshaw*, Catherine A Loynes, Daniel M Trushell, Stone Elworthy, Philip W Ingham, and Moira K Whyte
MRC Centre Development for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics, University of Sheffield, UK
Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine,School of Medicine & Biomedical ScienceUniversity of Sheffield
* Corresponding author; email: s.a.renshaw{at}sheffield.ac.uk.
We have established an in vivo model for the
genetic analysis of the inflammatory response by
generating a transgenic zebrafish line which expresses GFP
under the neutrophil-specific myeloperoxidase promoter. We
show that inflammation is induced following transection of
the tail of zebrafish larvae, and that this inflammation
subsequently resolves over a similar timecourse to
mammalian systems. Quantitative data can be generated from
this model, by counting of fluorescent cells or by digital
image analysis. In addition, we show that the resolution
of experimentally-induced inflammation can be inhibited by
the addition of a pan-caspase inhibitor, zVD.fmk,
demonstrating that experimental manipulation of the
resolution of inflammation is possible in this model.