The study of the effects of endocrine disruptors on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570074
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Morphology/Structure
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: SATO Tomomi 横浜市立大学, 生命ナノシステム科学研究科, 教授 (40295506)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 環境化学物質 / エストロゲン / 卵巣 / 脳下垂体 / 性腺刺激ホルモン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To investigate the effects of endocrine disruptors on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis, LH-secreting gonadotropes and the expression of genes involved in the synthesis and secretion of gonadotropins in the anterior pituitary of neonatally diethylstilbestrol (DES) mice were examined. The percentage of LH-secreting gonadotropes in the medial area of 90-day-old neoDES females was significantly lower than that of 90-day-old neoOil females. Ovariectomy increased the expression of the alpha subunit of glycoprotein hormones, FSH beta subunit and Lhb subunit both in neoOil and neoDES females, suggesting that the anterior pituitary of neoDES female mice is regulated by ovarian hormones via negative feedback. These results suggest that LH-secreting gonadotropes in the female mice are not only directly affected by neoDES but also are influenced by the masculinization of the hypothalamus. That is, neonatal DES exposure can masculinize or defeminize the hypothalamus of female mice.

Free Research Field

生殖生物学