In Italy, the “traditional” form of family revaluated by fascist dogma is one of the pillars of the society. Women have a central role to maintain, protect and support this form of family. Many Italian women, the State, the media and the Church, all act to safeguard this reality, seeking to remove all obstacles that can challenge the family. Abortion is considered as one of these obstacles and it has been a much debated topic in Italy over the years. Abortion was made legal in Italy in 1978 with a widely discussed law. The Italian Abortion Act, despite being the object of debates, critics and two referenda supported by all Parliamentary factions, has never been modified. In 2002, with the introduction of RU 486 at the Sant’Anna of Turin all debates about abortion started up again accompanied by a strong opposition to the implementation of the drug. The purpose of this study is to better understand the social definition of the female condition in Italy analysing the obstacles to the implementation of chemical abortion in Italy. In order to evaluate the role of both the Italian Government and society in obstructing the introduction of RU 486 in Italy, historical and secondary sociological data were collected and a series of interviews and a participant observation in a selection of Italian hospitals were conducted. A comparative study between Italy and the UK was also conducted. The results of this study seem to prove how the majority of Italian women, in opposition to feminist theory, prioritize family, femininity and maternity, considering career as necessary mainly from an economic point of view. Abortion is now considered by the young generation as something avoidable and no longer associated with women’s right to choose or as an expression of “self-determination”. This strong “traditionalistic” attitude seems to be caused by the inability of the Italian State to implement its laws and by the direct and indirect influence of the Catholic Church.

Thesis (doctoral)--Freie Universität, Berlin, 1999.

A adolescência é um período crítico para o desenvolvimento dos indivíduos. Durante esta fase várias estruturas cerebrais responsáveis pelo controle das respostas estressoras atingem sua maturidade. Assim, estressores agudos ou crônicos podem repercutir negativamente e alterar a resposta de estresse bem como o comportamento na vida adulta. O eixo hipotálamo-hipófiseadrenal (HPA) integra o sistema do estresse, cujo controle inibitório está regulado pelos glicocorticoides, os quais agem em receptores dos tipos mineralocorticoide (MR) e glicocorticoide (GR). É desconhecido o papel destes receptores nos efeitos de longa duração induzidos pelo estresse na pré-puberdade em modelos animais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar se o bloqueio dos receptores MR ou GR após o estresse na pré-puberdade previne suas alterações sobre o comportamento exploratório e o controle do eixo HPA, em ratas adultas. Desta forma, ratas pré-púberes, com 26 dias de idade, foram submetidas a uma ou sete sessões diárias de contenção e, em seguida, à administração dos antagonistas MR (Espironolactona) ou GR (RU- 486). Na fase adulta, aos 60 dias de idade, os animais foram avaliados no labirinto em cruz elevado e, no dia seguinte, submetidos novamente à contenção, concomitantemente com coleta seriada de sangue para avaliar a resposta do eixo HPA. Subsequentemente, realizou-se a perfusão do cérebro assim como a coleta das adrenais e timo. Efetuou-se a dosagem de corticosterona por radioimunoensaio e analisou-se a expressão e atividade dos neurônios CRH na região parvocelular medial do núcleo paraventricular do hipotálamo, por imuno-histoquímica. O estresse crônico na pré-puberdade causou redução no peso corporal, atraso na puberdade e diminuição da expressão de CRH e Fos em resposta ao estresse agudo na vida adulta. Não houve efeitos sobre o peso do timo e parâmetros comportamentais. Contudo, RU-486 promoveu aumento da corticosterona e adrenais. O estresse agudo ocasionou avanço da puberdade e associado com RU- 486 ou Espironolactona também diminuiu a atividade dos neurônios CRH em resposta ao mesmo estressor na vida adulta. Estes resultados demonstram que a administração de Espironolactona pode ser uma estratégia promissora para atenuar os efeitos centrais a longo prazo decorrentes do estresse agudo na pré-adolescência / Adolescence is a critical period to the individual\'s development. Several brain structures responsible for the control of stressful responses reach maturity during this phase. Thus, acute or chronic stressors can have a negative effect and alter the stress response as well as behavior in adulthood. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is part of the stress system, whose inhibitory control is regulated by glucocorticoids through mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors. It is unknown the role of these receptors in the long-term effects induced by stress in the prepuberty in animals models. The aim of this study was determine whether MR or GR receptor blockade after stress in prepuberty prevents their changes on exploratory behavior and control of the HPA axis in adult female rats. Thus, prepuberty female rats, at 26 days old, were submitted to one or seven daily restraint sessions followed by administration of MR (Spironolactone) or GR (RU-486) antagonists. In adulthood, at 60 days old, the animals were evaluated in the elevated plus maze. In the next day, they were subject again to restraint concurrently with serial blood sampling to evaluate the HPA axis response. Subsequently, it was performed the brain perfusion as well as the collection of the adrenal glands and thymus. It was conducted the dosage of corticosterone by radioimmunoassay and analyzed the expression and activity of CRH neurons in the medial parvocellular subdivision of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus by immunohistochemistry. Chronic stress in prepuberty reduced the body weight, delayed the puberty and decreased the CRH and Fos expression in response to acute stress in adulthood. There was no effect on thymus weight and behavioral parameters. However, RU-486 increased the corticosterone secretion and adrenal glands weight. Acute stress caused advancement of puberty and associated with RU-486 or Spironolactone also reduced the activity of CRH neurons in response to the same stressor in adulthood. These results demonstrate that Spironolactone administration may be a promising strategy to attenuate the central long-term effects resulting from acute stress in prepuberty.

A adolescência é um período crítico para o desenvolvimento dos indivíduos. Durante esta fase várias estruturas cerebrais responsáveis pelo controle das respostas estressoras atingem sua maturidade. Assim, estressores agudos ou crônicos podem repercutir negativamente e alterar a resposta de estresse bem como o comportamento na vida adulta. O eixo hipotálamo-hipófiseadrenal (HPA) integra o sistema do estresse, cujo controle inibitório está regulado pelos glicocorticoides, os quais agem em receptores dos tipos mineralocorticoide (MR) e glicocorticoide (GR). É desconhecido o papel destes receptores nos efeitos de longa duração induzidos pelo estresse na pré-puberdade em modelos animais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar se o bloqueio dos receptores MR ou GR após o estresse na pré-puberdade previne suas alterações sobre o comportamento exploratório e o controle do eixo HPA, em ratas adultas. Desta forma, ratas pré-púberes, com 26 dias de idade, foram submetidas a uma ou sete sessões diárias de contenção e, em seguida, à administração dos antagonistas MR (Espironolactona) ou GR (RU- 486). Na fase adulta, aos 60 dias de idade, os animais foram avaliados no labirinto em cruz elevado e, no dia seguinte, submetidos novamente à contenção, concomitantemente com coleta seriada de sangue para avaliar a resposta do eixo HPA. Subsequentemente, realizou-se a perfusão do cérebro assim como a coleta das adrenais e timo. Efetuou-se a dosagem de corticosterona por radioimunoensaio e analisou-se a expressão e atividade dos neurônios CRH na região parvocelular medial do núcleo paraventricular do hipotálamo, por imuno-histoquímica. O estresse crônico na pré-puberdade causou redução no peso corporal, atraso na puberdade e diminuição da expressão de CRH e Fos em resposta ao estresse agudo na vida adulta. Não houve efeitos sobre o peso do timo e parâmetros comportamentais. Contudo, RU-486 promoveu aumento da corticosterona e adrenais. O estresse agudo ocasionou avanço da puberdade e associado com RU- 486 ou Espironolactona também diminuiu a atividade dos neurônios CRH em resposta ao mesmo estressor na vida adulta. Estes resultados demonstram que a administração de Espironolactona pode ser uma estratégia promissora para atenuar os efeitos centrais a longo prazo decorrentes do estresse agudo na pré-adolescência / Adolescence is a critical period to the individual\'s development. Several brain structures responsible for the control of stressful responses reach maturity during this phase. Thus, acute or chronic stressors can have a negative effect and alter the stress response as well as behavior in adulthood. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is part of the stress system, whose inhibitory control is regulated by glucocorticoids through mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors. It is unknown the role of these receptors in the long-term effects induced by stress in the prepuberty in animals models. The aim of this study was determine whether MR or GR receptor blockade after stress in prepuberty prevents their changes on exploratory behavior and control of the HPA axis in adult female rats. Thus, prepuberty female rats, at 26 days old, were submitted to one or seven daily restraint sessions followed by administration of MR (Spironolactone) or GR (RU-486) antagonists. In adulthood, at 60 days old, the animals were evaluated in the elevated plus maze. In the next day, they were subject again to restraint concurrently with serial blood sampling to evaluate the HPA axis response. Subsequently, it was performed the brain perfusion as well as the collection of the adrenal glands and thymus. It was conducted the dosage of corticosterone by radioimmunoassay and analyzed the expression and activity of CRH neurons in the medial parvocellular subdivision of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus by immunohistochemistry. Chronic stress in prepuberty reduced the body weight, delayed the puberty and decreased the CRH and Fos expression in response to acute stress in adulthood. There was no effect on thymus weight and behavioral parameters. However, RU-486 increased the corticosterone secretion and adrenal glands weight. Acute stress caused advancement of puberty and associated with RU-486 or Spironolactone also reduced the activity of CRH neurons in response to the same stressor in adulthood. These results demonstrate that Spironolactone administration may be a promising strategy to attenuate the central long-term effects resulting from acute stress in prepuberty.

The effect of RU 486 at different concentrations (1, 5, 10, and 20 µg/ml) was studied on sperm-egg interaction in vitro in B6D2Ff mice. The in vitro fertilization rate of mouse ova decreased from 77.0% (control) to 50.0%, 28.7%, and 7.5% in the presence of RU 486 concentrations at 5, 10, and 20 µg/ml medium, respectively (p < 0.001). A concentration of 1 µg/ml did not affect the fertilization rate. A progesterone concentration at equal to or double the concentration RU 486 did not reverse the inhibitory effect of RU 486 on in vitro fertilization, which suggests a progesterone-independent mechanism. Exposure of spermatozoa (for 90 minutes) or ova (for 60 minutes) to RU 486 (20 µg/ml) followed by washing with RU 486-free medium before coincubation did not affect the fertilization rate. The presence or absence of cumulus cells did not change the inhibitory effect of RU 466 (20 µg/ml) on in vitro fertilization. RU 486 at 5 to 20 µg/ml medium was associated with perivitelline polyspermy in nonfertilized ova and enhanced perivitelline polyspermy in fertilized oval.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.