Résumé
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the aromatase inhibitor (AI) letrozole on gonadal development, serum steroids and aromatase activities in 2-year-old female red spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) during reproductive season. Groupers were divided into two groups, one implanted with aromatase inhibitor (AI, 5 mg/kg body weight) and the other elastomer without AI into peritoneal cavity once every four weeks for 8 weeks. Spermiation was checked through gentle abdominal pressure every 2 weeks. Blood samples were obtained from 6 fish of each group every 4 weeks for later analysis of sex steroids. After blood samples were collected, forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, and gonads were collected and stored at -70 degrees C for later aromatase activity measurement and gonadal histological study. Significantly lower gondadosomatic index (GSI) was observed in AI-implanted group. Fish implanted with AI once showed complete degradation of oocytes and sex inversion with developing testicular tissues in the 4th week. AI induced females to develop into functional males with authentic males testes similar in structure to those in normal males. Spermiating rate of AI-treated males were 14.3%, 35.3%, and 48.4%in the 4th, 6th, and 8th week, respectively, while all fish in the control group were still female with developing ovaries. Aromatase activities in gonads decreased significantly after implantation with aromatase inhibitor, but showed no significant difference between control and AI-implanted group. No difference in serum testosterone (T) levels was observed in control and AI-treated group, while serum levels of 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) decreased but 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) concentration increased significantly. The present results suggest that the decrease in serum 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) and increase in 11-KT levels may be important for sex inversion induced by aromatase inhibitor in red spotted grouper.
Résumé
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and dopamine (DA) can stimulate growth hormone (GH) release, but their effects on GH mRNA synthesis are controversial and deficient in fish. Orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) is a hermaphroditic marine fish with sex reversal. Few data are available concerning the regulation of GH in grouper. In the present study, the effects of GnRH and DA on GH release and GH mRNA expression were determined using pituitary fragments of orange-spotted grouper under static culture conditions. After incubation from 1 h to 24 h, salmon GnRH (sGnRH, 100 nmol/L) stimulated the release of GH and increased the level of GH mRNA time-dependently. The minimum duration of sGnRH effect was 1 h. Both of sGnRH and mammalian GnRH (mGnRH) augmented the release of GH and the level of GH mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. The potency of sGnRH on both GH release and GH mRNA level was more pronounced than that of mGnRH. The effects of 1 micromol/L APO (Apomorphine), an agonist of D(1)/ D(2) dopamine receptors, significantly stimulated GH release and GH mRNA synthesis after incubation for 12 h. APO stimulated GH release and GH mRNA abundance in a dose-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that both GnRH and DA directly stimulate GH release and GH mRNA expression at the pituitary level, the actions of GnRH are more potent than that of DA in orange-spotted grouper.