Genetic Pathway of Maternal Transmission in Topiramate-Treated Zebrafish Model and Effects of Herbal Medicine on Zebrafish Embryos

The study explored two main areas using zebrafish as a model organism. In the first part, researchers investigated the effects of topiramate, a drug used for epilepsy and migraine, on the genetic transmission in female zebrafish. They found that topiramate affected ovarian function and led to decreased expression of skeletal development-related genes (bmp2a, bmp2b, runx2b) in offspring, suggesting impaired maternal gene transmission. In the second part, the effects of herbal medicine on zebrafish embryos were examined. Lithium chloride was used to activate the Wnt pathway, increasing β-catenin protein levels, which caused abnormalities and high mortality at concentrations above 200 mM. However, the addition of Ginkgo biloba effectively reduced β-catenin levels, indicating its potential to mitigate these effects.