Dietary Strontium Increases Bone Mineral Density in Intact Zebrafish (Danio rerio): A Potential Model System for Bone Research

Abstract

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) skeletal bone possesses properties similar to human bone, which suggests that they may be used as a model to study mineralization characteristics of the human Haversian system, as well as human bone diseases. One prerequisite for the use of zebrafish as an alternative osteoporotic bone model is to determine whether their bone displays functional plasticity similar to that observed in other bone models. Strontium citrate was supplemented into a laboratory-prepared diet (45% crude protein) to produce dietary strontium levels of 0%, 0.63%, 1.26%, 1.89%, and 2.43% and fed ad libitum twice daily for 12 weeks to 28-day-old intact zebrafish. Length was determined at 4-week intervals, and both weight and length were recorded at 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, seven zebrafish from each dietary level were analyzed for total bone mineral density by microcomputed tomography. Dietary strontium citrate supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) increased zebrafish whole-body and spinal column bone mineral density. In addition, trace amounts of strontium were incorporated into the scale matrix in those zebrafish that consumed strontium-supplemented diets. These findings suggest that zebrafish bone displays plasticity similar to that reported for other bone models (i.e., rat, mouse, and monkey) that received supplements of strontium compounds and zebrafish should be viewed as an increasingly valuable bone model.

Danio rerio: the Janus of the bone from embryo to scale

“…Regarding the analysis of the skeletal system, whole zebrafish can be scanned by μCT, permitting the determination of BMD of total body as well as specific bone (i.e., a section of the spinal column) from a single scan. Whole-body μCT scans also permitted a 3D reconstruction of the zebrafish skeletal system in order to detect defects or differences in bone structures after particular dietary supplementation like strontium (50). X-ray radiography have been already introduced in zebrafish studies to detect abnormalities in skeletal anatomy and bone morphology (51).…”

Model teleosts for the study of idiopathic-type spinal curvatures: potential biomedical applications

“…Furthermore, the study of genes and molecular pathways of idiopathic‐type curvature in model teleosts can lead to biomedical applications such as more effective screening methods (to facilitate early curve detection), and possibly suggest therapeutic approaches. Teleosts are the most tractable vertebrate animal models and are thus ideal for the study of the basic science of bone‐related factors in a laboratory setting (Wagner et al., 2003; Gorman et al., 2007; Witten and Huysseune, 2009; Siccardi et al., 2010; Spoorendonk et al., 2010).…”

Insights from dietary supplementation with zinc and strontium on the skeleton of zebrafish,Danio rerio(Hamilton, 1822) larvae: From morphological analysis to osteogenic markers

“…The zebrafish ( Danio rerio ), is now an accepted model for vertebrate osteogenesis (Laizé, Gavaia, & Cancela, ), with a skeleton presenting both endochondral and intramembranous ossification, functional osteoblasts and osteoclasts, as well as a mineralized bone matrix similar to mammals (Morin‐Kensicki, Melancon, & Eisen, ; Spoorendonk, Hammond, Huitema, Vanoevelen, & Schulte‐Merker, ). Previous studies have investigated the effects of zinc or strontium on zebrafish skeleton, but focusing only on embryonic or adult stages (Küçükoğlu, Bİnokay, & Pekmezekmek, ; Pasqualetti et al., ; Siccardi et al., ). There is therefore a gap in knowledge on their effects during larval growth and how zinc and strontium affect the process of vertebrae mineralization.…”