Ozone promotes regeneration by regulating the inflammatory response in zebrafish

• We established the first animal model of ozone treatment in the zebrafish.
• Ozone promotes tissue regeneration by regulating the expression of TNF-α in two ways.
• Ozone regulates TNF-α by regulating the expression of IL-10.
• This is not the only regulatory pathway involved.

Ozone is thought to advance wound healing by inhibiting inflammation, but the mechanism of this phenomenon has not been determined. Although the zebrafish is often used in regeneration experiments, there has been no report of zebrafish treated with ozonated water. We successfully established a zebrafish model of ozonated water treatment and demonstrate that ozonated water stimulates the regeneration of the zebrafish caudal fin, its mechanism, and time dependence. The growth rate of the caudal fin and the number of neutrophils migrating to the caudal fin wound after resection were higher in the experimental (ozonated) group than in the control group, preliminarily confirming that ozone-promoted regeneration is related to the stimulation of an early inflammatory response by ozone. Ozone modulated the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in two ways by regulating interleukin 10 (IL-10) expression. Therefore, ozone promotes tissue regeneration by regulating the inflammatory pathways. This effect of ozone in an experimental zebrafish model is demonstrated for the first time, confirming its promotion of wound healing and the mechanism of its effect in tissue regeneration. These results will open up new directions for ozone and regeneration research.