Post Lyme Disease: A Novel Treatment Method in Zebrafish Model

Lyme disease, the bacterial multisystem infectious disease caused by the tick borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi can affect the nervous system leading to Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), which can cause neuronal dysfunction. Some manifestations of this disease include demyelination in the brain and spinal cord. The purpose of conducting this research was to study the in vivo effects of B. burgdorferi proteins on the nervous system through the use of a Danio rerio (zebrafish) model. An acridine orange staining of the treated embryos revealed oxidation induced apoptosis in the zebrafish brain. In addition, the luxol fast blue staining showed significant demyelination in the hindbrain and spinal cord. These tests were also used to determine if the neurprotectants taurine and N-acetylcystiene reduce the neuronal damage caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi lysate. This study reveals the ability of the neuroprotectants to attenuate the inflammatory effect, apoptotic effect, and demyelination effect of B. burgdorferi proteins on the central nervous system of zebrafish embryos.