UC Irvine

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for research to address the various pathologies within the cardiovascular system. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) serves as a compelling model for cardiovascular research due to its genetic similarity to humans, extensive genomic knowledge, ease of maintenance, and remarkable regenerative abilities. Consequently, the zebrafish model is valuable for investigating a range of cardiovascular conditions, including drug screening, electrophysiological analysis, genetic characterization, and the development of future cardiac therapies.

This dissertation presents the application of two novel multimodal methodologies for studying cardiac disease and drug screening in both adult and embryonic zebrafish models. A cutting-edge electrocardiogram (ECG) system was developed, capable of simultaneously recording four ECG signals from four adult zebrafish simultaneously. This system was validated through dose-response experiments, the phenotyping of mutations related to electrophysiology, and drug screening. The research included an analysis of how varying doses of Doxorubicin influence abnormal electrophysiological phenotypes, as well as a study on the impact of different levels of Amiodarone exposure on the electrophysiological parameters of healthy adult zebrafish. Additionally, this dissertation shows a novel approach combining simultaneous ECG and video recording in embryonic zebrafish to assess various cardiac parameters, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of acute Amiodarone exposure on heart development. Overall, the work presented in this dissertation explores the need and advantages of multimodal bio-signal acquisition systems.