Growth hormone overexpression generates an unfavorable phenotype in juvenile transgenic zebrafish under hypoxic conditions

Growth hormone (GH) has numerous functions in different organisms. A recently described function for GH is its role in protecting against damage caused by a decrease in oxygen levels. To evaluate the effects of GH-transgenesis on hypoxia tolerance, we used a GH-transgenic zebrafish model. We found that the transgenic fish have higher mortality rates when exposed to low oxygen levels (1.5 mg O₂L(-1)) for 24 h. The lower capacity of GH-transgenic …