Induction of Paraquat‐Mediated Parkinsonian Phenotype in Zebrafish

Abstract

AbstractParaquat (PQ) is a well‐known neurotoxin closely associated with neurodegenerative Parkinson's disease (PD). Zebrafish are utilized as a model for PD research because of their well‐defined neuropathology and locomotor behavior. Here, we highlight protocols for inducing PD using PQ and analyzing locomotor activity in adult zebrafish. Basic Protocol 1 details the treatment of adult male zebrafish with 60 mg/kg PQ via intraperitoneal injection to induce a PD‐like phenotype, followed by the steps to perform a locomotor assay. Basic Protocol 2 provides step‐by‐step guidance for processing the acquired videos in ToxTrac software to understand the locomotor parameters of 0.9% saline– and 60 mg/kg PQ–injected adult zebrafish. The simplicity of the treatment strategy, low‐cost video acquisition setup, and free video processing make these protocols accessible without prior experience. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Development of Parkinson's disease features in adult zebrafishBasic Protocol 2: ToxTrac analysis for locomotor assay