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POSTER PRESENTATION / POSTER SUNUM

Zebrafish-Based In Vitro Systems

Farah Gonul AYDIN¹ Uğur AYDIN
2,*

¹Ankara University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Pharmacology
and Toxicology, TÜRKİYE
2 Ankara University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Veterinary Pharmacology and
Toxicology, TÜRKİYE

*Correspound Author: ugurapistogramma@gmail.com

The evolving paradigm of toxicology has shifted from observing adverse effects at the
level of whole organisms to evaluating cellular-level biological responses through rapid,
sensitive, and ethically aligned methods. In this context, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has
emerged not only as a model organism in vivo but also as a valuable biological source for
cell-based analyses in aquatic toxicology. Reflecting the growing scientific interest since the
1990s, over 6,000 publications were indexed in 2023 alone using the keywords “zebrafish”
and “toxicology,” highlighting the model’s expanding significance in biomedical research. In
this framework, primary cell culture systems derived from embryonic and adult zebrafish
tissues have gained traction in toxicity assessment. These systems support the ethical
principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) by reducing reliance on animal
testing while enabling simultaneous and quantitative analysis of multiple biological
endpoints, including cell viability, gene expression, oxidative stress, and DNA damage.
Reporter gene systems linked to pathway-specific response elements (e.g., AHR, Nrf2, ER)
allow for precise tracking of cellular responses and offer insight into the causal mechanisms
of chemical toxicity. Applications of zebrafish primary cultures span key domains such as
hepatotoxicity (using metabolically active liver cells), gill permeability (measuring uptake
kinetics), and neurotoxicity (assessing phenotypic disruption in neuronal cells). Literature
indicates a progressive transition from 2D monolayer cultures to more physiologically
relevant 3D spheroid models. These advances are further supported by high-content imaging
and integration with multi-omics approaches. Additionally, improvements in parameters
such as medium composition, surface coatings, and cell density have strengthened the inter-
laboratory standardization potential of these systems. This poster aims to provide a
comprehensive overview of the role and advantages of zebrafish-derived primary cells in
experimental toxicity testing. It also introduces protocol structures, transfection techniques,
and application areas supported by recent literature, offering a conceptual and visual
resource particularly suited for doctoral-level research in toxicology and pharmacology.
Keywords: Aquatic toxicology; in vitro toxicity; primer cell line, spheroid models, 3R.

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