Introdução: a alta prevalência do câncer e o aumento significativo da sobrevivência em longo prazo geraram interesse quanto à preservação da fertilidade em mulheres jovens expostas a quimioterapia e radioterapia. Neste sentido estudos de congelamento de tecido ovariano para posterior transplante, abriram uma nova perspectiva de aplicação no tratamento e prevenção da infertilidade feminina. Objetivos: comparar dois protocolos de congelamento de tecido ovariano, um lento não automatizado e um por vitrificação, com o intuito de avaliar a viabilidade dos tecidos para posterior transplante autólogo. Método: Foram utilizadas 30 camundongos fêmea CF1 com aproximadamente 8 semanas e pesando 29,29g±2,9. •Os ovários extraídos foram vitrificados ou congelados, mantidos em nitrogênio líquido por 30 dias e descongelados. Após o descongelamento, o ovário esquerdo foi destinado às análises histológicas e caracterização por imuno histoquímica para o marcador mouse vasa homologue (MVH) e o ovário direito foi utilizado para os testes de viabilidade celular com exclusão por azul de trypan. Resultados: Nas análises de Hematoxilina e Eosina (HE) foram contados folículos primordiais, primários, pré-antrais e antrais. Não houve diferença significativa na proporção de folículos primordiais, primários e pré-antrais após descongelamento entre os grupos testados. A contagem de folículos antrais foi significativamente maior no grupo de vitrificação (p = 0,004). No ensaio de imunohistoquímica para o marcador MVH, folículos MVH + e MVH- foram contados e comparados com o número total de folículos. O grupo congelamento lento apresentou maior número de células não marcadas (p = 0,012). Conclusão: Embora ambos os protocolos tenham apresentado resultados semelhantes na análise histológica das contagens foliculares, o protocolo de vitrificação foi significativamente melhor para preservar a população de células tronco ovarianas. / Introduction: The high prevalence of cancer and the significant increase in long-term survival have generated interest as the preservation of fertility in young women exposed to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Experimental techniques have been tried in an attempt to reverse the ovarian failure induced by these treatments. In this regard studies of ovarian tissue freezing for subsequent transplantation disclose a new application perspective in the treatment and prevention of female infertility. Objective: two ovarian tissue freezing protocols were tested, a non-automated slow-freezing and by vitrification, in order to assess the viability of the tissues for subsequent autologous transplantation. Methods: as ovaries donors, were used 30 female CF1 mice approximately 8 weeks and weighing 29,29g±2,9. • The ovaries were vitrified or frozen, stored in liquid nitrogen for 30 days and thawed. After thawing, the left ovary was intended for histological and immunohistochemical characterization by histochemical marker for MVH and right ovary was used for the tests with cell viability by trypan blue exclusion. Results: In HE slides was counting primordial, primary, pre antral and antral follicles. No significant difference was found in the proportion of high-quality primordial, primary and pre antral follicles after thawing/warming in the slow-freezing and vitrification group, respectively. The antral follicle counting was significant higher in vitrification group (p=0,004). In immunohistochemistry assay for MVH Antibody , MVH+ and MVH- follicles were counted and compared with the total number of follicles and slow freeze group had a higher number of not marked cells (p=0,012). Conclusion: Although both protocols showed similar results in the histological analysis for follicular counts, the vitrification protocol was significantly better for preserve the ovarian stem cell population.

Introdução: a alta prevalência do câncer e o aumento significativo da sobrevivência em longo prazo geraram interesse quanto à preservação da fertilidade em mulheres jovens expostas a quimioterapia e radioterapia. Neste sentido estudos de congelamento de tecido ovariano para posterior transplante, abriram uma nova perspectiva de aplicação no tratamento e prevenção da infertilidade feminina. Objetivos: comparar dois protocolos de congelamento de tecido ovariano, um lento não automatizado e um por vitrificação, com o intuito de avaliar a viabilidade dos tecidos para posterior transplante autólogo. Método: Foram utilizadas 30 camundongos fêmea CF1 com aproximadamente 8 semanas e pesando 29,29g±2,9. •Os ovários extraídos foram vitrificados ou congelados, mantidos em nitrogênio líquido por 30 dias e descongelados. Após o descongelamento, o ovário esquerdo foi destinado às análises histológicas e caracterização por imuno histoquímica para o marcador mouse vasa homologue (MVH) e o ovário direito foi utilizado para os testes de viabilidade celular com exclusão por azul de trypan. Resultados: Nas análises de Hematoxilina e Eosina (HE) foram contados folículos primordiais, primários, pré-antrais e antrais. Não houve diferença significativa na proporção de folículos primordiais, primários e pré-antrais após descongelamento entre os grupos testados. A contagem de folículos antrais foi significativamente maior no grupo de vitrificação (p = 0,004). No ensaio de imunohistoquímica para o marcador MVH, folículos MVH + e MVH- foram contados e comparados com o número total de folículos. O grupo congelamento lento apresentou maior número de células não marcadas (p = 0,012). Conclusão: Embora ambos os protocolos tenham apresentado resultados semelhantes na análise histológica das contagens foliculares, o protocolo de vitrificação foi significativamente melhor para preservar a população de células tronco ovarianas. / Introduction: The high prevalence of cancer and the significant increase in long-term survival have generated interest as the preservation of fertility in young women exposed to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Experimental techniques have been tried in an attempt to reverse the ovarian failure induced by these treatments. In this regard studies of ovarian tissue freezing for subsequent transplantation disclose a new application perspective in the treatment and prevention of female infertility. Objective: two ovarian tissue freezing protocols were tested, a non-automated slow-freezing and by vitrification, in order to assess the viability of the tissues for subsequent autologous transplantation. Methods: as ovaries donors, were used 30 female CF1 mice approximately 8 weeks and weighing 29,29g±2,9. • The ovaries were vitrified or frozen, stored in liquid nitrogen for 30 days and thawed. After thawing, the left ovary was intended for histological and immunohistochemical characterization by histochemical marker for MVH and right ovary was used for the tests with cell viability by trypan blue exclusion. Results: In HE slides was counting primordial, primary, pre antral and antral follicles. No significant difference was found in the proportion of high-quality primordial, primary and pre antral follicles after thawing/warming in the slow-freezing and vitrification group, respectively. The antral follicle counting was significant higher in vitrification group (p=0,004). In immunohistochemistry assay for MVH Antibody , MVH+ and MVH- follicles were counted and compared with the total number of follicles and slow freeze group had a higher number of not marked cells (p=0,012). Conclusion: Although both protocols showed similar results in the histological analysis for follicular counts, the vitrification protocol was significantly better for preserve the ovarian stem cell population.

Phthalates are industrial plasticizers with a wide range of applications. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is one of the most highly produced and frequently studied phthalates. Its metabolite, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) is known as a testicular toxicant. The objective of this study was to examine expression of the genes of interest in testicular germ cells exposed to MEHP in a dose- and time-dependent manner at concentrations of 1µM, 10µM, and 100µM at 24, 48, 72 and 96hr time points. The genes consisted of Testisin, GSPT1, and MGMT genes which are a tumor suppressors, phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme and DNA repair gene respectively. These genes were analyzed by Quantitative Real Time PCR (RT-PCR). The results revealed an overall down-regulation for each gene as the concentration and/or time increased. Testisin was the focus of the gene expression analysis. Testisin is epigenetically silenced in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) by DNA methylation at the 5’CpG island of the gene. To investigate if MEHP is capable of DNA hypermethylation, a co-exposure with 5-azacytidine (demethylating agent) was conducted. Compared with the 5-azacytidine treatment alone, there was a significant down-regulation of the Testisin gene in the co-exposure. This suggests that MEHP may down-regulate Testisin gene expression by DNA methylation. These findings provide evidence that MEHP can alter the expression of Testisin, GSTP1 and MGMT, genes that are associated in the risk of developing testicular germ cell tumors. In addition, results indicated that MEHP may cause DNA methylation leading to the down-regulation/silencing of genes such as Testisin.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第21663号 / 医博第4469号 / 新制||医||1035(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 篠原 隆司, 教授 万代 昌紀, 教授 近藤 玄 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Au cours des dernières décennies, nous avons progressivement vu augmenter un certain nombre d’anomalies de la fonction de reproduction masculine dans les pays industrialisés. Ces constatations ont fait émerger l’hypothèse selon laquelle certains polluants de notre environnement pourraient altérer le développement du testicule fœtal et ainsi être responsables de ces anomalies. Parmi les composants incriminés se trouvent les phtalates, largement répandus dans l’environnement. Ces composés ont été décrits comme reprotoxiques, ils altèrent le développement de la lignée germinale dans différentes espèces et entraînent une diminution de la production de testostérone chez le rat. Toutefois, très peu de données sont disponibles quant à leurs effets chez l’Homme. Dans cette étude, nous avons analysé les effets d’un phtalate, le MEHP, sur le développement du testicule fœtal humain au premier trimestre de la grossesse, dans un modèle de culture organotypique qui permet le maintien des différentes structures de l’organe. Nous avons tout d’abord démontré que le MEHP (10-4M) n’altère pas la production de testostérone du testicule fœtal humain, contrairement aux résultats décrits chez le rat. En revanche, nous avons montré que l’exposition au MEHP entraîne une rapide diminution du nombre de cellules germinales par apoptose. A la suite de ces résultats, nous avons testé l’effet de doses plus faibles de MEHP afin de se placer à des concentrations de phtalates ayant été mesurées dans les liquides biologiques. Nous avons ainsi démontré que les cellules germinales du testicule fœtal humain sont altérées suite à l’exposition à des doses de MEHP de 10-5M. Enfin, dans la 3ème partie de ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressés aux mécanismes d’action des phtalates. Différentes études, notamment dans le foie, démontrent l’implication des récepteurs nucléaires dans les effets de ces composés. Il nous a donc semblé important de rechercher leur implication dans les effets des phtalates sur le testicule fœtal. Nous avons démontré que LXRα est très certainement impliqué ces effets puisque l’expression des ARNm de ce récepteur est augmentée. Par ailleurs, ce récepteur nucléaire contrôle deux voies métaboliques, la synthèse de cholestérol et la synthèse des acides gras qui semblent toutes deux modulées par les phtalates dans le testicule fœtal humain. Enfin, nous avons montré que l’implication de ces voies métaboliques est commune entre la gonade mâle et la gonade femelle, sans pour autant que l’effet sur les cellules germinales mâles ai pu être mis en évidence dans l’ovaire fœtal. En conclusion, cette étude a contribué à caractériser les effets des phtalates sur la mise en place des fonctions de reproduction chez le fœtus humain. Nous avons également pu mettre en évidence un nouveau mécanisme de ces composés, impliquant la superfamille des récepteurs nucléaires ainsi que la synthèse du cholestérol et des acides gras. / Since the last decades, an increase in several abnormalities of the male reproductive function has been progressively evidenced in industrialized countries. According to these observations, it was hypothesized that exposure to some environmental pollutants may impair the fetal testis development, and therefore be at the origins of those abnormalities. Among incriminated compounds, phthalates are molecules highly produced worldwide. These compound are classified as reprotoxic molecules, as they disrupt the development of the germ cell lineage in different species and lead to a decrease in testosterone production in rat. Nevertheless, very few data are available concerning their effects in human. In this study we analyzed the effects of one phthalate, the MEHP, on the human fetal testis development during the first trimester of pregnancy. It was performed using an organotypic culture system that allows the preservation of the different testis structures. We first demonstrated that MEHP (10-4M) does not affect testosterone production of the human fetal testis, in opposition to the results described in rat. We also have demonstrated that MEHP exposure triggers apoptosis in the fetal germ cells, leading to a quick decrease in the total number of these cells. Following those results, we tested the effects of lower doses of MEHP that are close to the highest doses measured in human biological fluids. We therefore demonstrated that fetal germ cells are altered by exposure to this dose of MEHP (10-5M). Finally, in the third part of this work, we focused on the mechanisms of action of phthalate toxicity. Different studies, mostly in the liver, report the involvement of the nuclear receptor superfamilly in the effect of those compounds. Thus, it seemed important to investigate their implication in the effect of phthalates on the human fetal testis. We demonstrated that LXRα is certainly implicated in these effects as its transcriptional level is increased. Moreover, this nuclear receptor regulates two metabolic pathways: Cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis pathways, that seemed to by both modulated by phthalate exposure in the human fetal testis. We also showed that the modulation of these two metabolic pathways is a common process to both the male and female gonads. Nevertheless, the germ cell decrease we evidenced in the human fetal testis was never observable in the fetal ovary. In conclusion, this work contributed to improve our knowledge about the effects of phthalate exposure on the establishment and the development of the human fetal reproductive system. We also have evidenced a new mechanism of these compounds that involves members of the nuclear receptors superfamilly, as well as cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医科学) / 甲第20285号 / 医科博第76号 / 新制||医科||5(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医科学専攻 / (主査)教授 篠原 隆司, 教授 浅野 雅秀, 教授 近藤 玄 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

No description available.

No description available.

The survival of all organisms depends on their ability to perform certain enzymatic activities and the ability to construct certain structures. In prokaryotes, enzymes are required for the final reactions of peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis, the structural element of the bacterial cell wall. These proteins, known as penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), are identified through the presence of conserved motifs within their functional domains. The Class A high-molecular weight PBPs are bifunctional, performing the penicillin-sensitive transpeptidase activity and the glycosyl transferase (GT) activity required for the polymerization of the glycan strands. The Class A PBPs in Bacillus subtilis are PBP1, PBP4, PBP2c, and PBP2d (YwheE) and they are encoded by ponA, pbpD, pbpF, and pbpG (ywhE), respectively. These proteins appear to be somewhat functionally redundant because removal of one or more does not cause any noticeable change in phenotype. However, the loss of PBP1 has previously been demonstrated in B. subtilis to cause a decreased growth rate and changes in morphology of vegetative cells, both of which are increased upon the additional loss of PBP4. Furthermore, the loss of sporulation-expressed Class A PBPs, PBP2c and 2d, causes a 10,000-fold decrease in the production of heat resistant spores. This double mutant is shown to have changes in the structural parameters of cortex PG that appear minor when compared to other strains, but are coupled with a large defect on the deposition of cortex PG, apparently from the synthesis of an abnormal germ cell wall. The Class A PBPs are believed to be the only proteins capable of performing the GT activity and it is therefore believed that cell viability requires the presence of at least one functional Class A PBP. This requirement has been demonstrated in other organisms, but a B. subtilis strain lacking all Class A PBPs is viable. The phenotypical changes seen in the PBP1 mutant are exacerbated in this strain. The GT activity remaining in this strain is sensitive to the antibiotic moenomycin in vitro whereas it appears resistant in vivo. Identification of the protein(s) performing this novel GT activity will rely on the demonstration of the GT activity in vitro. / Ph. D.

No / Male germ stem cells are responsible for transmission of genetic information to the next generation. Some chemicals exert a negative impact on male germ cells, either directly, or indirectly affecting them through their action on somatic cells. Ultimately, these effects might inhibit fertility, and may exhibit negative consequences on future offspring. Genotoxic anticancer agents may interact with DNA in germ cells potentially leading to a heritable germline mutation. Experimental information in support of this theory has not always been reproducible and suitable in vivo studies remain limited. Thus, alternative male germ cell tests, which are now able to detect phase specificity of such agents, might be used by regulatory agencies to help evaluate the potential risk of mutation. However, there is an urgent need for such approaches for identification of male reproductive genotoxins since this area has until recently been dependent on in vivo studies. Many factors drive alternative approaches, including the (1) commitment to the principles of the 3R's (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement), (2) time-consuming nature and high cost of animal experiments, and (3) new opportunities presented by new molecular analytical assays. There is as yet currently no apparent appropriate model of full mammalian spermatogenesis in vitro, under the REACH initiative, where new tests introduced to assess genotoxicity and mutagenicity need to avoid unnecessary testing on animals. Accordingly, a battery of tests used in conjunction with the high throughput STAPUT gravity sedimentation was recently developed for purification of male germ cells to investigate genotoxicity for phase specificity in germ cells. This system might be valuable for the examination of phases previously only available in mammals with large-scale studies of germ cell genotoxicity in vivo. The aim of this review was to focus on this alternative approach and its applications as well as on chemicals of known in vivo phase specificities used during this test system development. / Natural Science Fund of Shandong Province, China (No. ZR2012DM014) and the People’s Livelihoods Science and Technology Project of Qingdao, Shandong Province, China (13-1-3-73-nsh).