The zebrafish possesses a host of advantages that have established it as
an excellent model of vertebrate development. These include ease of
genetic manipulation and transgenesis, optical clarity, and small size
and cost. Biomedical researchers are increasingly exploiting these
advantages to model human disease mechanisms. Here we review the
use of the zebrafish for cardiovascular research. We summarize previous
studies with the use of this organism to model such processes as
thrombosis, collateral vessel development, inflammation, cardiomyopathy,
and cardiac regeneration, evaluate its promise for novel drug
discovery, and consider where the zebrafish fits into the framework of
existing cardiovascular models.