注射LHRHa对泥鳅血清性类固醇激素变化研究

研究了注射促黄体激素类似物(LHRHa)后,泥鳅(Misgurnus anguillicaudatus)血清性类同醇激素的变化规律,并探讨在泥鳅繁殖季节时.孕酮(P)、睾酮(T)和雌二醇(E2)对性腺发育的作用及调节机制.实验共分两组,对照组和实验组;对照组只注射生理盐水;实验组注射LHRHa,雌鱼0.2 μg/g,雄鱼减半.注射前尾静脉采血,作为血液样本分析基础水平(Oh),注射药物后分别在7、24、48、72和96h尾静脉采血.测定雌鱼睾酮、雌二醇和孕酮,雄鱼孕酮和睾酬血清浓度.实验结果表明:注射LHRHa,雌鱼血清睾酮和雌二醇浓度显著高于对照组,雄鱼血清睾酮和孕酮显著高于对照组(P<0.05);24h浓度较高.雌鱼孕酬、睾酮和雌二醇分别为(0.710±0.082)ng/mL、(9.00±0.57)ng/mL和(696.4±26.2)pg/mL,雄鱼孕酮和睾酮分别为(0.527±0.121)ng/mL和(9.62±0.62)ng/mL.实验组雌鱼孕酮变化基本规律为,基础水平(0-7h)-逐渐升至最高(7-24h)-逐渐降至基础水平(24-48h)-维持基础水平(48-96h).实验组雌鱼睾酮和雌二醇与雄鱼孕酮和睾酮变化规律基本相似,其规律为,逐渐上升至最高(0-24h)-逐渐降至基础水平(24-72h)-维持基础水(72-96h).24h对照组雌鱼睾酮和雌二醇显著升高,浓度分别为:睾酮(2.20±0.18)ng/mL,雌二醇(269.1±36.6)pg/mL.对照组雄鱼血清孕酮和睾酮浓度实验期间均无显著变化.研究认为:LHRHa能够刺激泥鳅性类同醇激素分泌,特别是睾酮的分泌,显著提高雌鱼性腺指数(GSI).但刺激P的分泌调控能力有限,实验期间处于较低水平,诱导排卵效果差,泥鳅的性类固醇激素可能有特殊的调节机制.雌二醇和睾酮对性腺成熟有重要作用,孕酮对介导卵细胞最终成熟和排卵可能起重要作用,而雌二醇和睾酮无明显效果.     

Regulation of endothelin-1 release from human endothelial cells by sex steroids and angiotensin-II

It is well documented that there are gender differences in the incidence and patterns of cardiovascular disease; males have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease than premenopausal women. We have therefore investigated whether the sex hormones, estradiol and testosterone, could directly influence the secretion of vascular peptides from human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). Previously we have shown that testosterone can increase the number of HAECs that secrete adrenomedullin. In this study we investigated sex hormone regulation of endothelin-1 in HAEC. Several studies have observed a reduction in endothelin-1 secretion from endothelial cells in the presence of estradiol, the effect being more marked for stimulated cells. Studies on the actions of testosterone are much fewer and inconclusive. In this study we observed that estradiol did not change the number of cells secreting endothelin-1 during 4 h incubation under basal conditions but decreased the number of secreting cells stimulated with angiotensin-II. Testosterone induced an increase in the number of cells secreting endothelin-1 (p = 0.03). Complementary incubations revealed that testosterone up-regulated endothelin-1 mRNA at 1–3 h (p < 0.05). These results, together with our previous observations, indicate that angiotensin-II, testosterone and estradiol have parallel effects on the production of endothelin-1 as on adrenomedullin in HAEC. We conclude that there is potential for coordinated modulation by sex steroids and angiotensin-II of vasoactive peptide production in human endothelial cells.     

Plasma catecholamine and serum testosterone responses to four units of resistance exercise in young and adult male athletes

The plasma noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) concentration responses of seven young male athletes [15 (SD 1) years] and seven adult male athletes [25 (SD 6) years] were investigated together with the serum testosterone (Tes) concentration responses in four different half-squatting exercises. The loads, number of repetitions, exercise intensity and recovery between the sets were manipulated such that different types of metabolic demand could be expected. However, the amount of work done was kept equal in each kind of exercise. After the most exhausting unit of exercise (E3; two sets of 30 repetitions with 50% of 1 repetition maximum and with 2-min recovery between the sets) the plasma NA concentration was significantly lower in the younger than in the adult subjects [15.7 (SD 7.8) vs 32.7 (SD 13.2) nmol · l⁻¹, P < 0.05], while the A concentrations were similar. In the other three exercises no differences in the plasma catecholamine concentration responses among the groups were observed. The postexercise Tes concentrations, however, were significantly lower in the younger than in the adult subjects in every exercise unit. No correlations between the plasma catecholamine and serum Tes concentration responses were observed in any of the exercise units in either group. The results of the present study may suggest reduced sympathetic nervous activity in the younger subjects compared to the adults in response to exhausting resistance exercise. The results may also suggest that the catecholamines were less involved in eliciting an increase in Tes secretion in these resistance exercises. Accepted: 11 November 1997     

Maternal care interacts with prenatal stress in altering sexual dimorphism in male rats

The present study analyzes the interaction between prenatal stress and mother's behavior on brain, hormonal, and behavioral development of male offspring in rats. It extends to males our previous findings, in females, that maternal care can alter behavioral dimorphism that becomes evident in the neonates when they mature. Experiment 1 compares the maternal behavior of foster mothers toward cross-fostered pups versus mothers rearing their own litters. Experiment 2 ascertains the induced “maternal” behavior of the male pups, derived from Experiment 1 when they reached maturity. The most striking effect was that the males non-exposed to the stress as fetuses and raised by stressed foster mothers showed the highest levels of “maternal” behavior of all the groups (i.e., induction of maternal behavior and retrieving behavior), not differing from the control, unstressed, female groups. Furthermore, those males showed significantly fewer olfactory bulb mitral cells than the control males that were non-stressed as fetuses and raised by their own non-stressed mothers. They also presented the lowest levels of plasma testosterone of all the male groups.     

Aromatization of androgens into estrogens reduces response latency to a noxious thermal stimulus in male quail

We recently demonstrated the presence of estrogen synthase (aromatase) and of estrogen receptors in the dorsal horn (laminae I-II) throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the spinal cord in male and female Japanese quail. The spinal laminae I-II receive and process abundant sensory information elicited, among others, by acute noxious stimulation of the skin and resulting in rapid, reflex-like withdrawal behavior. In the present study, we demonstrate that systemic treatment with estradiol or testosterone markedly decreases the latency of the foot withdrawal in the hot water test. A simultaneous treatment with an aromatase inhibitor blocks the effects of testosterone demonstrating, hence, that they are mediated by a conversion of testosterone into an estrogen by aromatase. Furthermore, the testosterone- or estradiol-induced decrease in foot withdrawal latency is blocked by a treatment with the estradiol receptor antagonist, tamoxifen, indicating that the effects are largely mediated by the interaction of estradiol with estrogen receptors. Together, these data suggest that sex steroids modulate sensitivity to noxious stimuli possibly by a direct action at the level of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.     

Embryonic and posthatching treatments with sex steroids demasculinize the motivational aspects of crowing behavior in male Japanese quail

Demasculinizing action of embryonic estrogen on crowing behavior in male Japanese quails was examined. Eggs were treated with either 20 μg of estradiol benzoate (EB) or vehicle on the 10th day of incubation. Chicks hatched from both groups of eggs were injected daily with either testosterone propionate (TP; 10 μg/g b.w.), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT, a non-aromatizable androgen; 10 μg/g b.w.), or vehicle from 11 to 50 days after hatching, and during this period their calling behaviors were observed. Irrespective of embryonic treatments, all birds received posthatching treatment with either TP or DHT, but not with vehicle, emitted crows in place of distress calls in a stress (non-sexual) context of being isolated in a recording chamber. The posthatching TP, but not posthatching DHT, induced crowing in a sexual context (crowing in their home-cages) from much earlier age than posthatching vehicle in the birds received control embryonic treatment with vehicle. The same TP treatment, however, completely eliminated the crowing in a sexual context in the birds received EB during their embryonic life. In the birds treated with either posthatching DHT or posthatching vehicle, the crowing in a sexual context was only slightly decreased by embryonic EB treatment. These data suggest that posthatching estrogen, derived from testosterone aromatization, enhances the demasculinizing action of embryonic estrogen, and thus strongly reduces the sexual motivation for crowing behavior. This demasculinizing action, however, would not influence vocal control system which generates acoustic pattern of crowing in the presence of androgens allowing the birds to crow in a non-sexual context.     

A novel spreadsheet method for calculating the free serum concentrations of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, estrone and cortisol: With illustrative examples from male and female populations

In humans, testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estradiol (E2), estrone (E1) and cortisol (C) bind to the serum proteins sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), albumin (Alb) and corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG). Equilibrium dialysis is considered to be the “gold standard” for measuring the free concentrations of these steroids but is technically difficult and not widely available. Based on a mathematical model of the 5-ligand/3-protein binding equilibria, we developed a novel spreadsheet method for calculating the free and bioavailable (free + Alb-bound) concentrations of each steroid in terms of the total steroid and protein concentrations. The model uses 15 association constants K_SHBG-X, K_Alb-X, and K_CBG-X (X = T, DHT, E2, E1 and C) that have been estimated from a systematic review of published binding studies. The computation of the free and bioavailable concentrations uses an iterative numerical method that can be readily programmed on a spreadsheet. The method is illustrated with six examples corresponding to young men (YM), old men (OM), obese men (Ob M), young women (YM), pregnant women in the 3rd trimester (Preg T3) and oophorectomized women on oral conjugated equine estrogens (CEE). The resulting free hormone concentrations for YM and YW fall within the normal references ranges obtained by equilibrium dialysis for all five hormones. The model also accounts for the competitive binding effects of high estrogen levels on the free T levels in Preg T3. This novel spreadsheet method provides a “user-friendly” approach for estimating the free concentrations of circulating sex hormones and cortisol in men and women.     

Changes in the testis interstitium of Sprague Dawley rats from birth to sexual maturity

Changes in the rat testis interstitium from birth to adulthood were studied using Sprague Dawley rats of 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 40, 60, and 90 days of age. Our objectives were 1) to understand the fate of the fetal Leydig cells (FLC) in the postnatal rat testis, 2) to determine the volume changes in testicular interstitial components and testicular steroidogenic capacity in vitro with age, 3) to differentially quantify FLC, adult Leydig cells (ALC), and different connective tissue cell types by number and average volume, and 4) to investigate the relationship between mesenchymal and ALC numbers during testicular development. FLC were present in rat testes from birth to 90 days, and they were the only steroidogenic cells in the testis interstitium at Days 1 and 7. Except for FLC, all other interstitial cell numbers and volumes increased from birth to 90 days. The average volume of an FLC and the absolute volume of FLC per testis were similar at all ages except at Day 21, when lower values were observed for both parameters. FLC number per testis remained constant from birth through 90 days. The observations suggested that the significance of FLC in the neonatal-prepubertal rat testis is to produce testosterone to activate the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-testicular axis for the continued development of the male reproductive system. ALC were the abundant Leydig cell type by number and absolute volume per testis from Day 14 onwards. The absolute numbers of ALC and mesenchymal cells per testis increased linearly from birth to 90 days, with a slope ratio of 2:1, respectively, indicating that the rate of production of Leydig cells is 2-fold greater than that of mesenchymal cells in the postnatal rat testis through 90 days. In addition, this study showed that the mesenchymal cells are an active cell population during testis development and that their numbers do not decrease but increase with Leydig cell differentiation and testicular growth up to sexual maturity (90 days).     

Concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I in adult male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus): associations with serum testosterone, morphometrics and age during and after the breeding season

Our understanding of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in cervids has been limited mostly to its effects on antler development in red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), fallow deer (Dama dama), and pudu (Pudu puda). Although IGF-I has been found to play a critical role in reproductive function of other mammals, its role in reproduction of deer is unknown. The objectives of the present study were to determine if serum levels of IGF-I change during the breeding season, assess whether age influences serum IGF-I, compare levels of IGF-I measured during and following the breeding season, and determine if IGF-I is associated with body and antler characteristics in free-ranging adult, male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We collected serum and morphometric data from hunter-harvested and captured white-tailed deer to investigate these objectives. Mean level of serum IGF-I during the breeding season was 63.6 ng/ml and was greatest in deer between 2.5 and 5.5 years old (57.4-79.9 ng/ml). Levels of serum IGF-I decreased by approximately 40% as the breeding season progressed, but levels were less in deer following the breeding season (34.6 ng/ml). Both body and antler size were associated positively with IGF-I when controlling for age. Serum testosterone was also associated positively with IGF-I. Levels of serum testosterone during the breeding season generally increased with age from 4.82 (1.5 years old) to 18.79 ng/dl (5.5 years old), but decreased thereafter. These data suggest that IGF-I may be an important hormone in breeding, male white-tailed deer.     

糖尿病大鼠性腺及外周血中性激素的改变

目的:研究糖尿病大鼠性腺及外周血中性激素的变化。方法:用放射免疫法检测糖尿病(DM)大鼠,正常(NDM)大鼠和STZ大鼠血清性激素含量,同时称取性腺重量,镜检睾丸、前列腺及附睾的组织形态学改变。结果:DM组睾酮水平显著低于NDM组、STZ组(P<0.01);NDM组与STZ组之间,睾酮水平无显著性差异;DM组促黄体生成素(LH)水平显著高于NDM组、STZ组(P<0.01);NDM组与STZ组之间。LH水平无显著性差异;促卵泡刺激素(FSH)水平在各组之间无显著性差异;HE结果显示,DM组性腺显微结构较NDM组及STZ组明显改变。结论:提示DM严重影响大鼠性腺功能及睾酮的合成分泌,并显著降低大鼠血清睾酮含量。     

Response of the ABCG2 promoter in T47D cells and BeWo cells to sex hormone treatment

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of sex hormones on activity of the ABCG2 promoter in different cell lines. T47D cells and BeWo cells were used as models for ABCG2-expressing cell lines, and luciferase assays using ABCG2 promoter–luciferase constructs were performed. It was shown that progesterone increased the response of the ABCG2 promoter in T47D cells but not in BeWo cells. On the other hand, estradiol had no effect on response of the ABCG2 promoter in either cell line. However, response of the ABCG2 promoter was enhanced by overexpression of ERα in both T47D cells and BeWo cells. T47D cells had higher sensitivity to ERα than did BeWo cells. Furthermore, it was shown that the inductive effect of progesterone on the ABCG2 promoter was inhibited by addition of RU486 or mithramycin A. Therefore, it was thought that the ABCG2 promoter responded to stimulation of the progesterone receptor (PR)-Sp1 pathway in T47D cells. Furthermore, progesterone suppressed the response of the ABCG2 promoter by changing the expression levels of PR-A and PR-B in BeWo cells. These findings suggested that there are differences between cell lines in the regulation mechanism of ABCG2 expression by sex hormone treatment.     

Changes in masculine sexual behavior, corticosterone and testosterone in response to acute and chronic stress in male rats

Chronic exposure to stressors increases HPA axis activity and concomitantly reduces HPG axis activity. This antagonistic relationship between both these axes has been proposed to underlie the inhibition of reproductive function due to stress. Sexual behavior in males may be the most vulnerable aspect of male reproduction to acute and chronic stress and it has been suggested that alterations in sexual behavior during stress are due to the antagonistic relationship between testosterone and corticosteroids. However, only in a few studies has a correlation between the levels of testosterone and corticosterone, and sexual behavior been made. In this study, we evaluated the effects of different stressors, applied both acute and chronically, on masculine sexual behavior and whether or not these effects on sexual behavior are accompanied by changes in plasma levels of corticosterone and testosterone. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of testosterone treatment on the effects of stress on sexual behavior. Sexually experienced male rats were exposed to one of the following stressors: immobilization (IMB), electric foot shocks (EFS) or immersion in cold water (ICW). Sexual behavior and plasma levels of testosterone and corticosterone were assessed on days 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 of stress. In a second experiment, males were castrated, treated with 3 different doses of testosterone propionate (TP) and exposed to ICW for 20 consecutive days. Sexual behavior was assessed on days 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 and steroids were evaluated on day 20. Parameters of masculine sexual behavior were modified depending on the characteristics of each stressor. Mount, intromission and ejaculation latencies increased significantly, the number of mounts increased, and ejaculations decreased significantly in males exposed to EFS and to ICW but not in males exposed to IMB. Associated with these effects, testosterone decreased in the EFS and ICW groups on days 1, 15, and 20. However, corticosterone increased only in males exposed to ICW. In castrated males, TP treatment failed to block the effects of stress by ICW on sexual behavior and corticosterone. These results indicate that the effects of stress on sexual behavior depend on the characteristics of each stressor, and these effects, as well as the decrease in testosterone are not necessarily associated with the increase in corticosterone. The fact that testosterone treatment did not prevent the effects of stress on sexual behavior suggests that other mediators could be involved in the alterations of sexual behavior caused by stress.     

Effect of forebrain implants of testosterone or estradiol on scent-marking and sexual behavior in male and female rabbits

Chinning consists of rubbing the chin against an object, thereby depositing secretions from the submandibular glands. As mating, chinning is stimulated in male and female rabbits by testosterone and estradiol, respectively. To investigate the brain sites where steroids act to stimulate chinning and mating we implanted into the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) or the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of gonadectomized male and female rabbits testosterone propionate (TP; males) or estradiol benzoate (EB; females) and quantified chinning and sexual behavior. EB implants into the VMH or MPOA reliably stimulated chinning in females. Most of those implanted into the VMH and around half of the ones receiving EB into MPOA or diagonal band of Broca (DBB) showed lordosis. Chinning, but not sexual behavior, was stimulated in males by TP implants into the MPOA or DBB. Neither chinning nor mounting were reliably displayed by males following TP implants into the VMH. Results indicate that, in females, the VMH is an estrogen-sensitive brain area that stimulates both chinning and lordosis while the MPOA seems to contain subpopulations of neurons involved in either behavior. In males, androgen-sensitive neurons of the MPOA, but not the VMH, are involved in chinning stimulation but it is unclear if these areas also participate in the regulation of copulatory behavior.     

The expression of serum steroid sex hormones and steroidogenic enzymes following intraperitoneal administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in male rats

The adrenals of humans and primates could secrete large amounts of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphate ester (DHEA-S) in the circulation, which act as precursors of active steroid hormones in a long series of peripheral target intracrine tissues. The marked decline of serum DHEA and DHEA-S concentrations with age in humans has been incriminated in the development of various pathologies. Therefore, this study aims to provide detailed information on the effects of the intraperitoneal injection of DHEA on circulating steroid hormones and their metabolites and their trade-off relationship over 24 h in male rats. In this study, 100 healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, 25 mg kg⁻¹ DHEA-treated and 100 mg kg⁻¹ DHEA-treated. The animals were sacrificed at 0, 1.5, 3, 6, 12 or 24 h, and the samples were collected for subsequent analysis. Total cholesterol (TC) markedly decreased 3 h after the administration of 100 mg kg⁻¹ DHEA, but markedly increased 12 h after administration. The DHEA-S, progesterone (P), testosterone (T), oestradiol (E₂), cortisol (Cor) and aldosterone (Ald) concentrations also markedly increased after DHEA administration, with serum DHEA-S, T, E₂ and Cor levels peaking at 1.5 h. Over time, steroid hormone levels were depressed, but serum Cor and Ald levels were markedly elevated relative to the control group at 24 h. Furthermore, DHEA treatment produced a significant increase in P450scc, 17β-HSDIII, CYP17α and 3β-HSD mRNA expression at 1.5 h, but a decided decrease in P450scc and StAR mRNA expression at 12 and 24 h, and CYP17α and 17β-HSDIII expression at 12 h in the 100 mg kg⁻¹ DHEA group. In total, the results of the present study indicate that DHEA at high pharmacological doses may affect steroid through an effect on steroidogenic enzymes.     

Changes in plasma,pituitary and brain α-MSH content in rats from birth to sexual maturity

Immunoreactive α-MSH was measured in plasma, pituitary and brain of male and female rats on the day of birth and at intervals afterwards up to 55–70 days of age. Plasma α-MSH concentrations on the day of birth were 528 ± 111 pg/ml and 406 ± 137 pg/ml in famel and male rats, respectively. Plasma α-MSH concentrations then fell and remained low until the onset of sexual maturity when they again rose reaching 406 ± 38 pg/ml in 70 day old females and 312 ± 46 pg/ml in 55 day old males. Pituitary α-MSH concentrations also changed with age and in male rats generally reflected the changes in plasma α-MSH concentrations. In females, on the other hand, pituitary α-MSH concentrations showed a gradual increase with age. Concentrations of α-MSH in the hypothalamus and brain increased with age and as with plasma and pituitary reached peak values in sexually mature animals. These findings are consistent with the idea that both piutiary and brain α-MSH have a role in sexually mature rats. Although α-MSH may have a role in sexual behaviour there was no evidence of any change in brain α-MSH throughout the estrous cycle.     

Changes in plasma concentrations of insulin-like peptide 3 and testosterone from birth to pubertal age in beef bulls

The objectives were to: (1) develop an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) or relaxin-like factor (RLF) in bovine plasma; (2) investigate changes of plasma INSL3 concentrations from birth to pubertal age of beef bulls; and (3) compare changes in plasma concentrations of INSL3, testosterone, and LH. Plasma samples were collected from beef bull calves (n = 15) at birth (0 d) and at 28, 56, and 84 d after birth. Furthermore, in beef bulls around pubertal age (n = 26; age range 3 to 22 mo), plasma samples were collected at 1 to 4 mo intervals. Plasma INSL3 concentrations increased (P < 0.05) from 0 to 28, 28 to 56, and from 56 to 84 d of age. Plasma testosterone concentrations increased (P < 0.001) from 0 to 28 d, and from 28 to 56 d, but did not change from 56 to 84 d. For bulls around pubertal age, plasma INSL3 concentrations did not change from the prepubertal phase (3 to 6 mo) to the early pubertal phase (6 to 12 mo), but increased (P < 0.05) from the early to late pubertal phases (12 to 18 mo), and from the late pubertal to postpubertal phases (18 to 22 mo). Plasma testosterone concentrations increased from the prepubertal to early pubertal phases (P < 0.001), but did not change thereafter. Plasma LH concentrations did not change from 0 d to 84 d, but decreased (P < 0.001) from prepubertal to early pubertal phase, with no significant change thereafter. Plasma INSL3 concentrations increased during the first 3 mo of life and throughout the pubertal age in beef bulls. There were similar dynamic patterns for INSL3 and testosterone during the first 3 mo of life, but patterns subsequently diverged in bulls around pubertal ages.     

Differential influence of peripheral and systemic sex steroids on skeletal muscle quality in pre- and postmenopausal women

Aging is associated with gradual decline of skeletal muscle strength and mass often leading to diminished muscle quality. This phenomenon is known as sarcopenia and affects about 30% of the over 60-year-old population. Androgens act as anabolic agents regulating muscle mass and improving muscle performance. The role of female sex steroids as well as the ability of skeletal muscle tissue to locally produce sex steroids has been less extensively studied. We show that despite the extensive systemic deficit of sex steroid hormones in postmenopausal compared to premenopausal women, the hormone content of skeletal muscle does not follow the same trend. In contrast to the systemic levels, muscle tissue of post- and premenopausal women had similar concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione, while the concentrations of estradiol and testosterone were significantly higher in muscle of the postmenopausal women. The presence of steroidogenetic enzymes in muscle tissue indicates that the elevated postmenopausal steroid levels in skeletal muscle are because of local steroidogenesis. The circulating sex steroids were associated with better muscle quality while the muscle concentrations reflected the amount of infiltrated fat within muscle tissue. We conclude that systemically delivered and peripherally produced sex steroids have distinct roles in the regulation of neuromuscular characteristics during aging.     

Disturbance in sex-steroid serum profiles of cattle in response to exogenous estradiol: a screening approach to detect forbidden treatments

Estradiol benzoate (EB) has been one of the most widely used estrogenic agents in animal husbandry, as a way of exogenously introducing the natural hormone estradiol-17β into the animal organism. Estradiol was previously employed to induce anabolic effects or reproductive improvements in cattle. However, the employment of EB in European countries has been permanently forbidden by Directive 2008/97/EC to guarantee consumers’ health. Despite this prohibition, the control of estradiol-17β and its esters continues to be a difficult task for residue-monitoring plans in European Communities because official analyses of natural thresholds for hormones in cattle have not yet been established, leading to a lack of confirmation for any exogenous administration of natural hormones. Several researchers have worked on excretion profiles of metabolites, variation in specific hormonal ratios and metabolomic fingerprints after hormonal treatments. This research focuses on the possible existence of disturbances in the serum profile of animals treated with EB in terms of steroid sex hormones (androgens, oestrogens and progestogens), by investigating the serum levels of several of these hormones. The serum samples were collected from three groups of cows: one treated with an intramuscular injection of EB, one treated with a combination of intravaginal EB and progesterone and a control (non-treated) group. The samples have been analysed by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method, and 17 natural hormones were identified and quantified. Subsequently, data from the serum profiles were submitted for statistic and multivariate analysis, and it was possible to observe a manifest variation between animal groups. The obtained results can help in the development of a viable screening tool for monitoring purposes in cattle.     

A comparison of the annual changes in testicular activity and serum androgen levels between the early and delayed maturing groups of male Cottus hangiongensis

Synopsis Annual changes in testicular activity and concentration of two serum androgens were monitored in two groups of the river-sculpin Cottus hangiongensis collected from the upper and lower reaches of a river at southern Hokkaido, Japan. One of them (early maturing group) underwent testicular maturation with aberrant spermatids and spermatid masses produced during the reproductive cycle. Moreover, regular seasonal changes in serum testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone concentrations were observed. On the other hand, in the other group (delayed maturing group), although body size of the fish was large enough to undergo reproduction, annual changes in gonadosomatic index and testicular activity did not vary much. During the months of active testicular development in the early maturing group, spermatogenesis was observed to begin in some regions of the testes of delayed maturing fish, but always resulted in the formation of aberrant spermatids and spermatid masses. Moreover, concentration of serum androgens did not significantly vary throughout the year. Results suggest that low androgen production is a proximal factor for delayed sexual maturity in the delayed maturing group, and that the occurrence of aberrant spermatids and spermatid masses during spermatogenesis is not linked to the delayed maturity.