Biomedical subjects

J Roffi

Publications and source records attributed to J Roffi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1996

Influence of cold exposure on dopamine content in rat brown adipose tissue.

Cold exposure produces a large increase in rat brown adipose tissue (BAT) dopamine (DA) content. This increase is rapid (30 min of cold are sufficient to produce a maximal effect), and can be detected at different ages (from birth to adulthood). Cold also greatly increases DA turnover rate in BAT. In the same experimental conditions tyrosine hydroxylase is activated, while the activity of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase is not modified. The possibility that DA can regulate BAT functioning is discussed.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗

PubMed1994

[Quantitative histo-enzymological study of delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in rat testis during the perinatal period. Relation with testicular crisis in the newborn rat].

The purpose of the present work was to determine if the neonatal testosterone surge in the rat (between 0 and 6 h after birth) was coincident with the histological and histochemical changes in the neonatal period. The histological study shows a decrease in the number of gonocytes and cells in mitosis. These observations are in good agreement with the results obtained by other authors. The critical period of birth does not reveal histological changes, between 0 and 6 h. By contrast, the histochemical analysis, based on the quantitative study of the delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid deshydrogenase (key enzyme of the testosterone biosynthesis) demonstrated a regular enzymatic activity decreasing, from the foetal stage of 20.5 days to the birth, following a drastic increasing, from 0 to 2 h. The enzyme activity decreases gradually until 1 day after birth. The surge has been observed also if the foetus is removed by cesarean. These results demonstrated that the testicular crisis of the newborn Rat is simultaneous with an increased synthesis of testosterone in the testis.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗

PubMed1993

Intermale aggression in mice: does hour of castration after birth influence adult behavior?

In the mouse, perinatally present testicular androgens promote the development of the propensity for adult intermale aggression. In the newborn male mouse plasma testosterone more than doubles during the first 2 h after birth and then falls rapidly to remain relatively low for the remainder of the 24-h period after birth. To study whether this surge in plasma testosterone influences aggressiveness we castrated some male mice within 1 h after birth i.e., before the surge. We castrated other males between 1.5-6 h after birth, or 1, 6, or 12 days after birth. Males were given testosterone as adults and tested for aggression for 5 weeks. Males castrated within 1 h after birth were not clearly different from males castrated 1.5-6 h after birth with respect to aggressive behavior, although males in both groups were substantially less aggressive than males castrated later in life. Thus, the perinatal surge in plasma testosterone in the mouse does not appear to make a unique contribution to the organization of mechanisms for intermale aggression. Rather, this surge is probably the initial stimulus that begins the postnatal process by which testicular hormones promote the development of the potential for adult aggressive behavior. This process appears to be complete by 6 days after birth.

Aggression↗

PubMed1992

Striatal dopamine metabolism is differentially affected by insulin according to the genotype in Zucker rats: a microdialysis study.

The genetically obese Zucker rat presents several abnormalities related to insulin and brain monoamines, which may play a role in its impaired regulation of food intake and body weight. In a previous study, the possible insulin-monoamine interplay was investigated by measuring brain monoamine and metabolite levels in the three genotypes of the Zucker strain. In addition to the expected results, insulin had a particular effect on striatal dopamine (DA) release, regardless of ponderal status and genotype. We further investigated this point in the present study, using the brain microdialysis technique in the striatum. Lean homozygous Fa-Fa rats responded as expected to insulin with regard to striatal DA release, with increases in DA and 3-methoxy-tyramine levels and decreases in dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid. Lean heterozygous Fa-fa rats showed a very specific response profile, with decreases in all dopaminergic parameters, suggestive of an effect on DA synthesis rather than DA release. This further emphasizes the marked differences between homozygous and heterozygous lean rats. The obese fa-fa rats clearly fell into two populations. The first showed a profile of response to insulin similar to that of the lean Fa-fa rats, in keeping with the disturbances related to the "fa" gene. The second showed an increase in all the dopaminergic parameters. This pattern of response was, however, different from that of the Fa-Fa rats. These opposing responses in the two obese populations did not reflect differences in the blood glucose response to insulin. One explanation is that 16 wk may be a critical transition period in the development of genetic obesity, with regard to brain monoamine disturbances and the response to insulin.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

PubMed1992

Changes in plasma testosterone levels during the peri-hatching period in the chicken.

Blood was obtained by heart puncture from 19-day-old Black Sex link chicken embryos and from Black Sex link chickens at 1.5, 6, or 24 h post-hatching. Plasma testosterone was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry associated with stable isotope dilution. At 19 days the plasma of male and female chick embryos contains measurable amounts of testosterone and levels do not differ between sexes. After hatching plasma testosterone gradually declines from pre-hatch concentrations in males and females, but in all the post-hatch ages studied, plasma testosterone was significantly higher in male than in female chicks. These results indicate that in male chickens, contrary to mammals at birth, there is no surge in plasma testosterone at hatching.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Effects of insulin on brain monoamine metabolism in the Zucker rat: influence of genotype and age.

Disturbances of insulin or brain monoamine metabolism may play a role in the impaired regulation of food intake and body weight in the obese Zucker rat. We investigated a possible insulin-monoamine interaction by measuring monoamine levels in the hypothalamus and striatum of obese (fa-fa) and lean (Fa-Fa and Fa-fa) Zucker rats after peripheral insulin administration. The classically reported effects of insulin, i.e., increases in tryptophan, 5-hydroxy-indolacetic acid (5-HIAA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels, were observed in the hypothalamus of Fa-Fa and Fa-fa rats, but not in obese fa-fa rats. Given the mechanism of action of insulin, this lack of effect in the obese rats may be related to the peripheral insulin resistance they exhibit. Furthermore, given the role of these monoaminergic systems, this reduced effect may be related to the impaired regulation of food intake and body weight. At 8 wk of age, however, insulin restored the decreased basal 5-HIAA levels observed in the obese rats. Increase in 5-HIAA levels following insulin administration appeared in the striatum of Fa-Fa rats only, suggesting that, as for brain insulin content, other central insulin-related disturbances may be related to the presence of the "fa" gene. In addition, certain effects of insulin on striatal dopamine release were observed in only the Fa-Fa and fa-fa rats, suggesting a particular disturbance related to the heterozygous character. This latter point calls for further investigations on the central dopaminergic effects of insulin.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

PubMed1990

Sex differences in serum luteinizing hormone and testosterone in the human neonate during the first few hours after birth.

Blood was obtained from human male and female neonates within a few minutes after birth, and at intervals thereafter for up to 21 h. Serum LH was substantially higher at birth for boys than girls. For most boys, serum LH fell precipitously during the next hour; serum LH remained low for the remainder of the period sampled in both boys and girls. In girls, serum testosterone was low at birth and remained low for at least 21 h. At birth, serum testosterone in boys was higher than for girls, increased dramatically during the first 3 h after birth, and remained elevated (2 to 3 times higher than for girls) between 3 and 12 h after birth. In newborn human males, a sudden discharge of hypophyseal LH appears to stimulate neonatal secretion of testosterone by the testes. The functional significance of this phenomenon remains to be determined.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗

PubMed1989

Effects of insulin on brain serotonin in the young rat: influence of thyroid status.

Thyroid status has been shown to modify the adrenal catecholaminergic response to insulin. The influence of thyroid status on the brain serotonergic response to insulin is the subject of the present report. Newborn rats were divided into three groups: euthyroid, hypothyroid (propylthiouracil given to the suckling mother), and hypothyroid-treated with triiodothyronine (T3) as replacement therapy. At 14 days of age, the animals in each group received either insulin (10 IU/kg SC) or saline. Levels of serotonin (5-HT) and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were determined in several brain regions. Hypothyroidism induced increases in hypothalamic 5-HT and 5-HIAA and in cortical 5-HIAA levels. The elevations in 5-HIAA levels were reversed by T3. Insulin treatment-induced increases in 5-HIAA levels in all brain regions of both the hypothyroid and the T3-replaced rats. Thyroid status thus influences the serotonergic response to insulin in the young rat, but contrary to what occurred in adrenals for catecholamines, hypothyroidism enhances the central serotonergic response to insulin.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Testosterone levels in plasma and testes of neonatal mice.

Newborn female and male C57BL6 mice were decapitated at birth or at different times during the first 24 h after birth and testosterone was determined by radioimmunoassay in plasma and testes. In newborn females, plasma testosterone is low and does not significantly change over the first 24 h after birth. In contrast, in newborn males, plasma testosterone more than doubles during the first 2 h after birth and then falls rapidly to remain relatively low for the remainder of the 24 h period after birth. The increase in plasma testosterone is of almost certain testicular origin since it follows a decrease in testicular testosterone content. It seems likely that the increase in plasma testosterone in male mice which reaches its peak at 2 h after birth is involved in an essential way in the development of well-documented sex differences in gonadotropin secretion and behavior.

Aging↗

PubMed1987

Testicular hormones during the first few hours after birth augment the tendency of adult male rats to mount receptive females.

In the male rat, a dramatic increase in serum testosterone of testicular origin occurs during the first two hours of postnatal life. This experiment was designed to determine whether this increase contributes to the development of the propensity for adult male rats to mount sexually receptive females. Male rats were castrated at either 0-hours (virtually at the moment of birth), or at 6 hours, or at 24 hours after birth. Some males castrated at 0-hours were injected with 1 microgram of testosterone after surgery. Control males were sham-operated at birth, and castrated in adulthood. At about 90 days of age, each male was given testosterone replacement therapy and tested over a period of 6 weeks for mounting. Castration of newborn males retards the development of mounting in the sense that males castrated at 0-hours require a longer period of hormone stimulation before beginning to mount, a greater percentage of males castrated at 0-hours fail to mount altogether, and even those who do mount do so at a frequency significantly lower than that for males castrated later in life. These effects are not seen when males are given an injection of testosterone immediately after castration at 0-hours, or when castration occurs at 6 hours after birth or later. We conclude that gonadal hormonal stimulation during the first several hours after birth contributes to, although is perhaps not essential for, the development of mounting.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Effect of progesterone on the testosterone and estradiol levels in the hypothalamus of neonatal rats.

Pregnant female rats were injected with progesterone or oil from 18.5 up to 21.5 days of gestation. Rat pups were delivered by caesarean section, and pups delivered from progesterone-treated mothers were injected with 100 micrograms of progesterone and pups from oil-treated mothers were injected with oil. Two hours after delivery, pups were killed and hypothalamic testosterone and estradiol were determined by RIA. Control males had substantially higher concentrations of testosterone and estradiol in hypothalamus than control females. Treatment with progesterone did not affect the accumulation of testosterone in the hypothalamic tissue of neonatal males, but completely prevented the formation of estradiol in hypothalamic tissue. This result suggests that progesterone can inhibit hypothalamic aromatase activity in the neonate and may explain why progesterone can protect against some of the neural defeminizing effects of neonatally administered androgens.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Influence of the environmental temperature on the post-partum testosterone surge in the rat.

In the neonatal male rat, a rapid and transient increase in serum testosterone occurs about 2 h after birth. This post-partum testosterone surge (PPTS) has been implicated in the masculinization and defeminization of the central nervous system. The present study shows that environmental temperature can have a profound influence on the PPTS. Male rats were delivered from their mothers by caesarean section on day 22 of gestation. Immediately thereafter, neonatal males were placed at an ambient temperature of either 18, 21, 24 or 30 degrees C. With 2 h of exposure, the body temperature was in close correspondence with the ambient temperature. The PPTS was clearly abolished in the pups exposed for 2 h at either 18 or 21 degrees C. The effect of temperature was reversible: by placing pups at either 18 or 21 degrees C for 2 h after delivery, and then rewarming by placing them with a foster mother, the PPTS was delayed until 4 h after birth, i.e. 2 h after the beginning of rewarming. Thus, environmental cooling appears to retard the development of neural and/or endocrine systems mediating the PPTS. Aberrant maternal care which would produce substantial cooling of the male pups would be expected to affect the PPTS, which in turn might affect the sexuality of male progeny.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

[Malaria, anemia and nutritional status: longitudinal study of their interaction in a sahelian zone (Senegal)].

Two villages in the sahelian zone of the Senegal river Basin, were surveyed during one year. On 5 occasions (May, July, October 1982, January, March 1983) 200 persons were clinically examined and a parasitological (parasite rate and specific antibodies), haematological and biochemical examination was done. At the same time an entomological survey was performed. The two vectors were Anopheles gambiae ss. and A. arabiensis with a predominance of the first. Although the number of infective bites is low, the transmission risk is high, at least one a year. The parasite rate is low (15%) with almost no seasonal variation although transmission occurs only during 3-4 months. Correspondingly low titres of malaria antibodies are present. The nutritional status of the population is on the limit of normal. It was not possible to make significant correlations between malaria and the nutritional status except for anaemia where evolution seems to be more related to malaria than to nutrition.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

T-cell subsets and natural killer activity in Plasmodium falciparum-infected children.

Thirty children acutely infected by Plasmodium falciparum and suffering either benign uncomplicated malaria (17 cases), or cerebral malaria (13 cases), were investigated for T-cell number and subset distribution among peripheral blood mononuclear cells using OKT3, OKT4, and OKT8 monoclonal antibodies, and for natural killer (NK) activity using K562 cells as targets. They were compared to a group of 16 age- and sex-matched healthy Senegalese children. OKT8 cell percentage was found increased in both groups of patients with a decrease of OKT4 cell percentage in cerebral malaria patients only. Both groups thus exhibited a decreased OKT4/OKT8 ratio, which was slightly lower in cerebral malaria cases than in benign cases. NK activity was found elevated in uncomplicated cases of malaria, in contrast to patients suffering cerebral malaria, who exhibited a profound depression of NK activity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

[Effect of newborn rat testes on the male sexual behavior of the testosterone-treated adult].

Neonatal male rats were castrated either at 0, 6 or 24 hrs. after birth. As adults, testosterone was delivered by subcutaneous implantation of a Silastic capsule containing this hormone. The probability to display mounting behavior in presence of an estrous female was lower when the animals were castrated at 0 hr. than at 6 or 24 hrs. or when they received a subcutaneous injection of 1 microgram of testosterone propionate, at the time of castration at 0 hr. These results suggest that in the rat, during the 6 hrs. following birth, neonatal testes influence the sensitivity of the adult central nervous system to testosterone.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

[Influence of neonatal hypothyroidism on the response of the adrenal medulla of young rats to a physiological stimulation].

The adrenal medulla of control and hypothyroid young rats was stimulated through insulin hypoglycaemia. In the control animals, the intensity of the depletion of the adrenal epinephrine, which occurs in response to hypoglycaemia, increases up to 10 days of age. Neonatal hypothyroidism results in a retarded evolution. Following epinephrine depletion, the activities of adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) are transitorily increased in the 14 day-old controls; these increases are the consequence of transsynaptic inductions. Hypothyroidism decreases TH induction and completely suppresses that of DBH.

Adrenal Medulla↗

PubMed1985

[Biochemical characterization and study of the sensitivity to Plasmodium falciparum infection. Apropos of a case of double CN Baltimore hemoglobinopathy discovered in Senegal].

The discovery of a double CNBalt hemoglobinopathy allowed the authors, after a family background investigation, to study the possible biological effects linked to that dual heterozygoty and to look for a protection against Plasmodium falciparum infections. It hasn't been possible to make evident any protection.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1984

Adrenal dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity in the ground squirrel Citellus citellus--effect of hibernation, arousal, and continuous light.

In the hibernating ground squirrel activity of adrenal dopamine-beta-hydroxylase was significantly lower as compared with the active animals (P less than 0.01). The highest activity of this enzyme was found in animals tested immediately after arousal from hibernation (P less than 0.01). The adrenal weight was higher in hibernating animals than in the active or aroused ones. The difference between the active and aroused animals was significant (P less than 0.01). Extremely high enzyme activity was found in the adrenals of animals exposed to continuous light for 3 weeks as compared with active animals kept in continuous darkness or with controls subjected to a regime of 12 hr light - 12 hr darkness (P less than 0.01). The weight of the adrenals in the three groups was about the same level.

Adrenal Glands↗