Page 15 - Inspiring UG

ZEBRAFISH, RATS

AND RESEARCH: THE NEW

LAB RAT...THE Photo credit: Prof. Gerlai, University of Toronto

‘Zebrash'

The search for an effective drug for epilepsy and
other neurological conditions has led Dr. Patrick
Amoateng, a europharmacologist in the University
of Ghana's School of Pharmacy's Department of
Pharmacology and Toxicology, to screen three plant
extracts for their anti-convulsant properties, and a
further ive plant extracts for their anti-psychotic
effects.

Over the years, his tests have been mainly carried out
on mice and rats. With the increasing number of
rodents required in the business of primary drug
discovery, his ethical considerations about the
rodent subjects, and concerns about escalating costs,
have led him in search of a new lab rat, the Zebra ish.

Danio rerio, the scienti ic name for the Zebra ish, is a
fresh water ish which presents multiple advantages.
These include its high physiological and genetic
homology to mammals, external fertilization, rapid Dr. Patrick Amoateng
development, transparency of embryos and larvae as
well as ease of genetic and other experimental
manipulations.

Other bene its accrue from its relatively low cost, space effectiveness, and ease of breeding and
husbandry, all of which make the Zebra ish a viable lab rat alternative. Major research centres
worldwide have established Zebra ish facilities, where adult and larval Zebra ish are used for
cardiovascular, cancer, in lammation, infectious diseases, epilepsy, pain, anxiety and depression
research as well as for drug discovery.

Despite the advantages of this easy to breed species, there is little utilization of the Zebra ish in this sub-
region. Following his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford, funded by the University of
Ghana (UG) BANGA-Africa project in 2017, Dr. Amoateng was able to further his research by leveraging
the ef icacy of Zebra ish as an alternative to rodents.

He is establishing a Zebra ish facility at the University of Ghana, which would be the irst of its kind in
West Africa. The facility, donated by the Max F. Perutz Laboratories in Vienna, Austria will facilitate
research and training of the next generation of biomedical scientists.

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