Cytoprotective Activities of Water-Soluble Fullerenes in Zebrafish Models - Zebrafish: Methods for Assessing Drug Safety and Toxicity - page 265

Table 19.6 Ability of C3 (1), C3-tris, 2, and 3 to Block Apoptosis During Normal
Development of Zebrafish Embryos

Reduction of apoptosis

Compound c (mM) Hatching glands Olfactory pits Retina Lateral neuromasts

1 250 N N N N

C3-tris 10 Y N N Y

2 500 Y Y Y Y

3 500 N N N N

19.3.5 Blocking Developmental Apoptosis in
Zebrafish Embryos

Water-soluble fullerenes appear to be highly effective at blocking apoptotic cell
death in the presence of known chemical toxins and electromagnetic radiation (Lin
et al., 1999, 2004; Lotharius et al., 1999; Fumelli et al., 2000; Daroczi et al., 2006).
We wanted to explore whether they could also block apoptosis that occurs naturally
during embryonic development. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to fullerenes
(C3 (1), C3-tris, 2,and3)fromday1today5postfertilization,andwholeembryos
were subsequently stained with acridine orange to detect apoptotic cells in control
and fullerene-treated embryos. Table 19.6 shows that 3 and C3-tris block embryo-
genesis-associated apoptosis, while no effects were observed in these experiments
with C3 (1)or2. Figure 19.8 shows acridine orange staining for C3-tris and 3,
demonstrating reduction in number of positively stained cells in hatching glands and
olfactory pits for C3-tris and in retina and neuromast cells for 3. It is notable that
zebrafish embryos appear viable after treatment with these agents based on lethality,
although developmental abnormalities in body and organ development have been
noted in preceding sections.

19.3.6 Protection of Zebrafish Embryos from
Mechanoreceptor Hair Cell Injury and Death Induced
by Cisplatinum and Gentamicin

In zebrafish, the dorsal mechanoreceptor hair cells are responsible for sensing
position, orientation, balance, and movement and are biochemically and morpho-
logically similar to outer hair cells of the inner ear inmammals. UsingDASPEI, a vital
dye that stains mechanoreceptor cells specifically, the fate of each lateral-line
neuromast cell can be tracked in zebrafish embryos after exposure to chemical toxins
that induce apoptosis in these cells (Ton and Parng, 2005). Cisplatinum is a widely
used and highly effective chemotherapy agent. The major side effects are damage to
renal tubular cells and outer hair cells of the inner ear, leading to renal failure and loss