A Comprehensive Study of High Cholesterol Diet-Induced Larval Zebrafish Model: A Short-Time In Vivo Screening Method for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Drugs

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease around the world. However, there is still no drug for NAFLD in the market, the study of potential therapeutic drugs on NAFLD is extraordinarily pressing and urgent. The rodent models for NAFLD drugs' study are always with a long time cost. Therefore, we aim to establish a short-time NAFLD drug screening model. A laboratory-made high cholesterol diet was used on larval zebrafish for 3 weeks to establish the NAFLD screen model. Lipid metabolism, oxidant stress, and pathology were studied to comprehensively demonstrate the whole spectrum of NAFLD on this model. Bezafibrate and pioglitazone were used to evaluate the model. Moreover, mechanism research was performed on this model.The NAFLD larval zebrafish model was established with the comprehensive process of NAFLD. Moreover, multiple index on lipid metabolism, oxidant stress, hepatic steatosis, and hepatic inflammation can be easily tested for drug screening. Furthermore, this model can be used to perform the mechanism research by testing mRNA expression. The NAFLD larval zebrafish model is a comprehensive short-time screening method for NAFLD drugs.