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Method Article
This work describes a protocol to quantify ethanol levels in a zebrafish embryo using head space gas chromatography from proper exposure methods to embryo processing and ethanol analysis.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describe a highly variable continuum of ethanol-induced developmental defects, including facial dysmorphologies and neurological impairments. With a complex pathology, FASD affects approximately 1 in 100 children born in the United States each year. Due to the highly variable nature of FASD, animal models have proven critical in our current mechanistic understanding of ethanol-induced development defects. An increasing number of laboratories has focused on using zebrafish to examine ethanol-induced developmental defects. Zebrafish produce large numbers of externally fertilized, genetically tractable, translucent embryos. This allows researchers to precisely control timing and dosage of ethanol exposure in multiple genetic contexts and quantify the impact of embryonic ethanol exposure through live imaging techniques. This, combined with the high degree of conservation of both genetics and development with humans, has proven zebrafish to be a powerful model in which to study the mechanistic basis of ethanol teratogenicity. However, ethanol exposure regimens have varied between different zebrafish studies, which has confounded the interpretation of zebrafish data across these studies. Here is a protocol to quantify ethanol concentrations in zebrafish embryos using head space gas chromatography.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describes a wide array of neurological impairments and craniofacial dysmorphologies associated with embryonic ethanol exposure1. Multiple factors, including timing and dosage of ethanol exposure and genetic background, contribute to the variation of FASD2,3. In humans, the complex relationship of these variables makes studying and understanding the etiology of FASD challenging. Animal models have proven crucial in developing our understanding of the mechanistic basis of ethanol teratogenicity. A wide variety of animal model systems has been used to study multiple aspects of FASD and results have been remarkably consistent with what is found in exposure in humans4. Rodent model systems are used to examine many aspects of FASD, with mice being the most common5,6,7. The majority of this work has focused on developmental defects to early ethanol exposure8, though later exposure to ethanol has been shown to cause developmental anomalies as well9. Moreover, the genetic capabilities of mice have greatly aided in our ability to probe the genetic underpinnings of FASD10,11. These studies in mice strongly suggest that there are gene-ethanol interactions with the sonic hedgehog pathway, retinoic acid signaling, Superoxide dismutase, Nitric oxide synthase I, Aldh2 and Fancd28,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21. These studies show that animal models are critical to advancing our understanding of FASD and its underlying mechanisms.
The zebrafish has emerged as a powerful model system to examine many aspects of ethanol teratogenesis22,23. Due to their external fertilization, high fecundity, genetic tractability, and live imaging capabilities, zebrafish are ideally suited to study factors such as timing, dosage, and genetics of ethanol teratogenesis. Ethanol can be administered to precisely staged embryos and the embryos can then be imaged to examine the direct impact of ethanol during developmental processes. This work can be related directly to humans, because the genetic programs of development are highly conserved between zebrafish and humans and can therefore help guide FASD human studies24. While zebrafish have been used to examine ethanol teratogenesis, a lack of consensus in reporting embryonic ethanol concentrations makes comparison to humans difficult25. In mammalian systems, blood-alcohol levels correlate directly to tissue ethanol levels26. Many of the zebrafish studies treat embryos before complete formation of their circulatory system. With no maternal sample to examine, a process to assess ethanol concentrations is required to quantify ethanol levels within the embryo. Here we describe a process to quantify ethanol concentrations in a developing zebrafish embryo using head space gas chromatography.
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All zebrafish embryos used in this procedure were raised and bred following established IACUC protocols27. These protocols were approved by the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Louisville.
NOTE: The zebrafish line Tg(fli1:EGFP)y1 was used in this study28. All water used in this procedure is sterile reverse osmosis water. All statistical analyses were performed using Graphpad Prism v8.2.1.
1. Making embryo media
2. Measuring the embryonic volume using water displacement
NOTE: In this protocol, 24 h postfertilization (hpf) embryos (Figure 1) are used. The embryos used in the volume measurements are not used in the ethanol analysis.
3. Treating embryos with ethanol
4. Preparing workflow before processing the embryos for head space gas chromatography
5. Processing embryos for head space gas chromatography
NOTE: Both embryos in their chorions and those previously removed from their chorions are treated the same for consistency in the calculation of dilution factors.
6. Preparing media and ethanol standards
7. Preparing the head space gas chromatograph
NOTE: This setup and protocol may need to be changed depending on the gas chromatograph used. Head space gas chromatography is used to quantify ethanol levels, not for separation.
8. Sample measurements using head space gas chromatography
9. Sample ethanol peak integration and sample concentration analysis
NOTE: All values from 9.3 on were calculated in an excel file that all equations prefilled.
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Blood ethanol levels cannot be determined in early embryonic zebrafish, because they lack a fully formed circulatory system. To determine the level of ethanol concentration in the zebrafish embryos, the ethanol levels are measured directly from homogenized embryonic tissue. To properly measure the embryonic ethanol concentrations, the embryonic volume has to be taken into account. The embryo (yolk attached) sits inside the chorion (eggshell) surrounded by extraembryonic fluid (Figure 1). Any...
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As a developmental model system, zebrafish are ideally suited to study the impact of environmental factors on development. They produce large numbers of externally fertilized embryos, which allows for precise timing and dosage paradigms in ethanol studies. This, combined with the live imaging capabilities and the genetic and developmental conservation with humans, make zebrafish a powerful model system for teratology studies. Described is a protocol for measuring embryonic ethanol concentrations in developing zebrafish e...
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The authors have nothing to disclose.
The research presented in this article was supported by previous grants from National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH/NIDCR) R01DE020884 to J.K.E. and National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH/NIAAA) F32AA021320 to C.B.L. and by the current grant from National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse (NIH/NIAAA) R00AA023560 to C.B.L. We thank Rueben Gonzales for providing and assisting with gas chromatograph analysis. We thank Tiahna Ontiveros and Dr. Gina Nobles writing assistance.
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Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
Air | Provided by contract to the university | ||
Analytical Balance | VWR | 10204-962 | |
AutoSampler, CP-8400 | Varian | Gas Chromatograph Autosampler | |
Calcium Chloride | VWR | 97062-590 | |
Ethanol | Decon Labs | 2701 | |
Gas chromatograph vial with polytetrafluoroethylene/silicone septum and plastic cap 2 mL | Agilent | 8010-0198 | Can reuse the vials after cleaning, but not the caps/septa |
Gas Chromatograph, CP-3800 | Varian | ||
Helium | Provided by contract to the university | ||
HP Innowax capillary column | Agilent | 19095N-123I | 30 m x 0.53 mm x 1.0 μm film thick |
Hyrdogen | Provided by contract to the university | ||
Magnesium Sulfate (Heptahydrate) | Fisher Scientific | M63-500 | |
Microcentrifuge tube 1.5 mL | Fisher Scientific | 2682002 | |
Micropipette tips 10 μL | Fisher Scientific | 13611106 | |
Micropipette tips 1000 μL | Fisher Scientific | 13611127 | |
Micropipette tips 200 μL | Fisher Scientific | 13611112 | |
Petri dishes 100 mm | Fisher Scientific | FB012924 | |
Pipetman L p1000L Micropipette | Gilson | FA10006M | |
Pipetman L p200L Micropipette | Gilson | FA10005M | |
Pipetman L p2L Micropipette | Gilson | FA10001M | |
Polytetrafluoroethylene/silicone septum and plastic cap | Agilent | 5190-7021 | Replacement caps/septa for gas chromatograph vials |
Potassium Chloride | Fisher Scientific | P217-500 | |
Potassium Phosphate (Dibasic) | VWR | BDH9266-500G | |
Pronase | VWR | 97062-916 | |
Silica Beads .5 mm | Biospec Products | 11079105z | |
Silica Beads 1.0 mm | Biospec Products | 11079110z | |
Sodium Bicarbonate | VWR | BDH9280-500G | |
Sodium Chloride | Fisher Scientific | S271-500 | |
Sodium Phosphate (Dibasic) | Fisher Scientific | S374-500 | |
Solid-phase microextraction fiber assembly Carboxen/Polydimethylsiloxane | Millipore Sigma | 57343-U | Replacement fibers |
Star Chromatography Workstation | Varian | Chromatography software | |
Thermogreen Low Bleed (LB-2) Septa | Millipore Sigma | 23154 | Replacement inlet septa |
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