Éditeur(s) : Natl Shellfisheries Assoc
Résumé : The pearl industry in French Polynesia is based on exploitation of natural stocks of the black-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera); it generates an annual turnover of 90 million euros. Improvements in pearl quality need genetic studies to improve the populations. This pearl oyster is a protandric species, where the sex-ratio normally is biased towards males. There is an increasing interest in gender control to find the mechanisms to augment female proportions for management purposes. This review summarizes information on exogenous and endogenous factors regulating gender in this and other bivalves and concludes that P. margaritifera is a protandric hermaphrodite, developing as a male during the first two years and without evidence of an effect from abiotic and biotic factors on gender during this phase. Later, pearl oysters progressively change to females, reaching a sex ratio close to 1:1 in specimens >8 years; at this stage, gender is apparently influenced by environmental parameters, but particularly by stress. Future research should seek to accurately determine the effect of temperature and food on sex ratios. Studies should be performed to characterize genes responsible for expression of gender. The use of hormones is a path that might be explored to influence the gender of pearl oysters.
Journal Of Shellfish Research (0730-8000) (Natl Shellfisheries Assoc), 2011-08 , Vol. 30 , N. 2 , P. 231-240

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00040/15100/12543.pdf
DOI:10.2983/035.030.0206
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00040/15100/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
STUDY QUESTION: Is prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) associated with variations of sex hormone levels in cord blood? SUMMARY ANSWER: Prenatal exposure to a number of POPs is associated with a disruption of hormone levels in cord blood, with sex specificities. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Epidemiological studies have reported disorders of reproductive health, in relation with POPs exposure during early life and the endocrine disruption properties of these chemicals have been suggested as possible mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A subset of 282 mother-child pairs was selected from the prospective population-based PELAGIE birth cohort (n = 3421, 2002-2006, Brittany, France). Pregnant women were recruited before 19 weeks of gestation and followed until delivery. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Sex hormone levels including sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol (E2), total testosterone (T), free testosterone (fT = T/SHBG) and the aromatase index (AI = T/E2) were measured in 282 cord blood samples. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was measured in male newborns only. Pesticide concentrations of α-endosulfan, β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), γ-HCH, dieldrin, pp'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), heptachlor epoxide (HCE), as well as PCBs (congeners 153, 187 and the sum of anti-estrogenic PCBs 118, 138, and 170) and decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE209) were also measured in cord blood. Associations between sex hormones and POPs exposure were explored using multiple linear regressions adjusted for potential confounders. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: High PCB levels were associated with an increase of SHBG (P-trend extless 0.01) and AMH (P-trend extless 0.05) and a decrease of fT (P-trend extless 0.05) and AI (P-trend extless 0.01). High pesticide levels, particularly α-endosulfan and HCE, were associated with an increase of SHBG (P extless 0.05) and E2 (P extless 0.01) and a decrease of fT (P extless 0.05) and AI (P extless 0.01). Several of these associations were stronger, or specific, among male or female newborns. The associations were not altered in the sensitivity analyses. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The study population was of relatively small sample size, and some compounds rarely detected in cord blood. The high level of correlation between POPs makes it difficult to identify the most contributing POPs. Hormone measurements were performed at birth (in cord blood) and may not adequately represent the infant endocrine system. Multiple statistical testing may have led to false-positive associations. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our results are in discordance with those reported in the only published study of the kind but in accordance with studies about prenatal exposure to other endocrine disruptors such as phthalates. These findings may help understanding the pathways involved in adverse reproductive outcomes associated with POPs exposure. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: The PELAGIE cohort is funded by Inserm, French Ministry of Health, French Ministry of Labor, InVS, ANR, ANSES, and French Ministry of Ecology. None of the authors has any competing interest to declare
ISSN: 0268-1161

hal-01220641
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01220641
DOI : 10.1093/humrep/dev260
PUBMED : 26493407

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
AIM: To describe the main characteristics and the treatment of cryptococcosis in patients with sarcoidosis. DESIGN: Multicenter study including all patients notified at the French National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals. METHODS: Retrospective chart review. Each case was compared with two controls without opportunistic infections. RESULTS: Eighteen cases of cryptococcosis complicating sarcoidosis were analyzed (13 men and 5 women). With 2749 cases of cryptococcosis registered in France during the inclusion period of this study, sarcoidosis accounted for 0.6% of all the cryptococcosis patients and for 2.9% of the cryptococcosis HIV-seronegative patients. Cryptococcosis and sarcoidosis were diagnosed concomitantly in four cases; while sarcoidosis was previously known in 14/18 patients, including 12 patients (67%) treated with steroids. The median rate of CD4 T cells was 145 per mm(3) (range: 55-1300) and not related to steroid treatment. Thirteen patients had cryptococcal meningitis (72%), three osteoarticular (17%) and four disseminated infections (22%). Sixteen patients (89%) presented a complete response to antifungal therapy. After a mean follow-up of 6 years, no death was attributable to cryptococcosis. Extra-thoracic sarcoidosis and steroids were independent risk factors of cryptococcosis in a logistic regression model adjusted with the sex of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Cryptococcosis is a significant opportunistic infection during extra-thoracic sarcoidosis, which occurs in one-third of the cases in patients without any treatment; it is not associated to severe CD4 lymphocytopenia and has a good prognosis.
ISSN: 1460-2725

hal-00873410
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00873410
DOI : 10.1093/qjmed/hct052
PUBMED : 23515400

Résumé : En Guadeloupe, la prévalence du diabète est deux fois plus élevée qu'en France hexagonale, avec une prédominance féminine. En dehors des facteurs environnementaux, la vitamine D et certains polymorphismes de gènes impliqués dans son métabolisme seraient associés à un risque de pathologies métaboliques. Les androgènes sont également associés aux anomalies du métabolisme glucidique, soit directement, soit via leur transporteur SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Protein). Nous avons émis les hypothèses de recherche suivantes: 11 le statut en vitamine D et les polymorphismes des gènes impliqués dans son métabolisme pourraient être associés aux paramètres métaboliques chez des sujets Afro-Caribéens (AC). Ils expliqueraient l'importance des pathologies cardiométaboliques en Guadeloupe. 2/ la SHBG pourrait être associée aux anomalies du métabolisme glucidique, indépendamment des stéroïdes sexuels. Nos travaux sont présentés dans 4 études. Nous avons mis en évidence une prévalence élevée du déficit en vitamine D chez les sujets AC diabétiques de type 2. Nous avons trouvé une association significative entre le statut vitaminique D et le risque cardiométabolique chez ces sujets, mais aussi dans une population de sujets en hémodialyse chronique. Les polymorphismes des gènes impliqués dans le métabolisme de la vitamine D sont aussi associés à ce risque. Chez les sujets dysmétaboliques, une relation entre la SHBG, la graisse intra-hépatique, les hépatokines et les paramètres métaboliques a été mise en évidence, indépendamment des stéroïdes sexuels. En conclusion, la vitamine D et la SHBG pourraient être des marqueurs d'intérêt pour le dépistage des sujets à haut risque cardiométabolique.
In Guadeloupe, the prevalence of diabetes is two times higher than in Metropolitan France, with a female predominance. Apart from environmental factors, vitamin D and polymorphisms of genes involved in vitamin D metabolism would be associated with increased risk of metabolic diseases. Androgens are also associated with abnormal glucose metabolism, directly or through the Sex Hormone Binding Protein (SHBG). Our main hypotheses were: 11 Vitamin D status and polymorphisms of genes involved in its metabolism may be associated with metabolic pammeters in Afro-Caribbean (AC). They could explain the importance of cardiometabolic diseases in Guadeloupe. 2/ SHBG may be associated with abnormal glucose metabolism, independently of sex steroids. Our research is presente
http://www.theses.fr/2012AGUY0536/document

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Kisspeptins are well known as mediators of the coordinated communication between the brain-pituitary axis and the gonads in many vertebrates. To test the hypothesis that gonadal steroids regulate kiss1 and kiss2 mRNA expression in European sea bass (a teleost fish), we examined the brains of gonad-intact (control) and castrated animals, as well as castrated males (GDX) and ovariectomized females (OVX) that received testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) replacement, respectively, during recrudescence. In GDX males, low expression of kiss1 mRNA is observed by in situ hybridization in the caudal hypothalamus (CH) and the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH), although hypothalamic changes in kiss1 mRNA levels were not statistically different among the groups, as revealed by real-Time PCR. However, T strongly decreased kiss2 expression levels in the hypothalamus, which was documented in the MBH and the nucleus of the lateral recess (NRLd) in GDX T-Treated sea bass males. Conversely, it appears that E2 evokes lowkiss1mRNAin the CH, while there were cells expressing kiss2 in the MBH and NRLd in these OVX females. These results demonstrate that kisspeptin neurons are presumably sensitive to the feedback actions of sex steroids in the sea bass, suggesting that the MBH represents a major site for sex steroid actions on kisspeptins in this species. Also, recent data provide evidence that both positive and negative actions occur in key factors involved in sea bass reproductive function, including changes in the expression of gnrh-1/gonadotropin, cyp19b, er and ar genes and sex steroid and gonadotropin plasma levels in this teleost fish. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
Journal of Experimental Biology

hal-01406072
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01406072
DOI : 10.1242/jeb.137364
PUBMED : 27591305

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD BioScientifica
Résumé : International audience
BACKGROUND: Differences in circulating steroid hormone levels have been hypothesized to explain ethnic differences in steroid-related diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the serum levels of a wide panel of steroid hormones, both androgens and estrogens, in healthy middle-aged African-Caribbean and European men. DESIGN AND METHODS: Serum steroid hormone levels were determined in men participating in a systematic public health study funded by the French National Health Insurance system. Blood was collected in the morning from 304 healthy African-Caribbean and European men aged between 40 and 69 years. Serum steroids were measured by mass spectrometry-gas chromatography, except for DHEAS and sex hormone-binding globulin, which were determined by RIA. Data were analyzed in 10-year age intervals by analysis of covariance, with adjustment for age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and season of sampling. RESULTS: Compared with Europeans, African-Caribbean men presented significantly higher serum levels of measured bioavailable testosterone, 4-androstenedione (4-dione), and estrone (E1) regardless of the age group, of 5-androstenediol (5-diol) in those aged 40-49 and 50-59 years, and of testosterone (TT) and dihydrotestosterone in those aged 40-49 years. In contrast, European men aged 40-69 years showed significantly higher serum levels of DHEA and DHEAS. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in serum steroid hormone levels were observed in middle-aged African-Caribbean and European men. Whether such differences could contribute to ethnic differences in disease risk in adult men remains to be investigated. Some steroids, such as bioavailable TT, 4-dione, 5-diol, and E1, deserve particular attention.
ISSN: 0804-4643

hal-00876034
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00876034
DOI : 10.1530/EJE-11-0551
PUBMED : 21951700

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : International audience
Cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom; aromatase) is a microsomal enzyme involved in the production of endogeneous sex steroids by converting testosterone into oestradiol. Aromatase is the product of the cyp19a1 gene and plays a crucial role in the sexual differentiation of the brain and in the regulation of reproductive functions. In the brain of mammals and birds, expression of cyp19a1 has been demonstrated in neuronal populations of the telencephalon and diencephalon. By contrast, a wealth of evidence established that, in teleost fishes, aromatase expression in the brain is restricted to radial glial cells. The present study investigated the precise neuroanatomical distribution of cyp19a1 mRNA during brain development in Xenopus laevis (late embryonic to juvenile stages). For this purpose, we used in situ hybridisation alone or combined with the detection of a proliferative (proliferating cell nuclear antigen), glial (brain lipid binding protein, Vimentin) or neuronal (acetylated tubulin; HuC/D; NeuroβTubulin) markers. We provide evidence that cyp19a1 expression in the brain is initiated from the very early larval stage and remains strongly detected until the juvenile and adult stages. At all stages analysed, we found the highest expression of cyp19a1 in the preoptic area and the hypothalamus compared to the rest of the brain. In these two brain regions, cyp19a1-positive cells were never detected in the ventricular layers. Indeed, no co-labelling could be observed with radial glial (brain lipid binding protein, Vimentin) or dividing progenitors (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) markers. By contrast, cyp19a1-positive cells perfectly matched with the distribution of post-mitotic neurones as shown by the use of specific markers (HuC/D, acetylated tubulin and NeuroβTubulin). These data suggest that, similar to that found in other tetrapods, aromatase in the brain of amphibians is found in post-mitotic neurones and not in radial glia as reported in teleosts.
ISSN: 0953-8194

hal-00994513
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00994513
DOI : 10.1111/jne.12142
PUBMED : 24612124

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
The capacity of testicular somatic cells to promote and sustain germ cell differentiation is largely regulated by sexual steroids and notably androgens. In fish species the importance of androgens is emphasized by their ability to induce sex reversal of the developing fries and to trigger spermatogenesis. Here we studied the influence of androgens on testicular gene expression in trout testis using microarrays. Following treatment of immature males with physiological doses of testosterone or 11-ketotestosterone, 418 genes that exhibit changes in expression were identified. Interestingly, the activity of testosterone appeared stronger than that of 11-ketotestosterone. Expression profiles of responsive genes throughout testis development and in isolated germ cells confirmed androgens to mainly affect gene expression in somatic cells. Furthermore, specific clusters of genes that exhibit regulation coincidently with changes in the natural circulating levels of androgens during the reproductive cycle were highlighted, reinforcing the physiological significance of these data. Among somatic genes, a phylogenetic footprinting study identified putative androgen response elements within the proximal promoter regions of 42 potential direct androgen target genes. Finally, androgens were also found to alter the germ line towards meiotic expression profiles, supporting the hypothesis of a role for the somatic responsive genes in driving germ cell fate. This study significantly increases our understanding of molecular pathways regulated by androgens in vertebrates. The highly cyclic testicular development in trout together with functions associated with regulated genes reveal potential mechanisms for androgen actions in tubule formation, steroid production, germ cell development and sperm secretion.
ISSN: 1932-6203

inserm-00825763
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00825763
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00825763/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00825763/file/Rolland_et_al.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0053302