[What's new in 2014 about anti-Müllerian hormone?]. / Quoi de neuf en 2014 sur l'hormone anti-müllérienne?

The existence of the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has been postulated by Professor Alfred Jost to explain the regression of the Müllerian ducts during male sexual differentiation. Since then, AMH has been purified, its gene and specific receptor, AMHR-II have been cloned. Further, the signaling pathways were identified and it has been observed that AMH was produced by the granulosa cells of growing follicles. From the 2000s, unexpected roles of AMH have been highlighted, reactivating international research on this hormone. It is now well established that AMH plays a key role in the follicular recruitment and development. Over the past years, serum AMH measurements have been proposed as a marker of the follicular ovarian status, and a predictor of assisted reproductive cycles. AMH is also useful to assess the effectiveness of treatment of some gynecological tumors. This article is a review of the past five years advances on the regulation of the expression of AMH and its specific receptor AMHR-II in female.

Characterization and distribution of [3H]ohmefentanyl binding sites in the human brain.

Binding properties and localization of [3H]ohmefentanyl, a new ligand for mu opioid receptors, were investigated on normal human brain sections. Binding assays performed at the level of the basal ganglia revealed: (1) a steady-state binding reached after 60 min incubation at room temperature, (2) the presence, in saturation experiments, of an apparent single class of binding sites with a Kd = 1.68 +/- 0.45 nM and a Bmax = 162 +/- 9 fmol/mg protein, (3) an order of potency to inhibit [3H]ohmefentanyl binding as follows: ohmefentanyl greater than [D-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly-ol5] enkephalin (DAGO) greater than ethylketocyclazocine (EKC) much greater than Tyr-D-Ser(OtBu)-Gly-Phe-Leu-Thr(OtBu) (BUBU) and U-50,488H. Quantitative autoradiography showed an heterogeneous distribution of [3H]ohmefentanyl binding sites with the highest densities in amygdala, medical geniculate body, thalamus, and caudate nucleus. Binding characteristics and anatomical distribution also show that [3H]ohmefentanyl may bind to a small proportion of additional sites called "DAGO-inaccessible [3H]ohmefentanyl specific binding sites." [3H]Ohmefentanyl binding to these sites can be partly inhibited by sigma ligands such as 1,3-di-o-tolylguanidine (DTG) and haloperidol. However, unlabeled DAGO inhibited more than 80% of [3H]ohmefentanyl specific binding in most of the human brain regions studied, suggesting that the major population of sites labeled by [3H]ohmefentanyl represented mu opioid receptors.

[3H]ohmefentanyl preferentially binds to mu-opioid receptors but also labels sigma-sites in rat brain sections.

Ohmefentanyl has been shown to be 6300 times more potent than morphine for analgesia. The receptor binding characteristics and distribution of [3H]ohmefentanyl in rat brain sections are presented. [3H]Ohmefentanyl bound with high affinity to opioid receptors in a saturable manner (Kd = 0.95 +/- 0.08 nM, Bmax = 337 +/- 14 fmol/mg protein). We used various currently available specific mu, delta and kappa ligands to show that [3H]ohmefentanyl has a high selectivity for the mu opioid receptor. However, [D-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAGO) was unable to completely inhibit [3H]ohmefentanyl specific binding, while complete inhibition was observed with fentanyl derivatives and the benzomorphan derivative, ethylketocyclazocine. This remaining 20% DAGO-inaccessible [3H]ohmefentanyl specific binding did not correspond to either mu1, delta or kappa sites. Haloperidol and 1,3-di-o-tolylguanidine were able to inhibit DAGO-inaccessible [3H]ohmefentanyl specific binding, suggesting that [3H]ohmefentanyl might also bind to haloperidol-sensitive sigma sites. The topographical distribution of [3H]ohmefentanyl found by autoradiography was generally similar to that of [3H]DAGO. However, in agreement with the biochemical results, quantitative analysis revealed additional sites in several rat brain regions, the greatest discrepancies with [3H]DAGO distribution being observed in cerebellum, central grey, hippocampal formation and locus coeruleus. Finally, our results suggest that this capacity of binding to both mu and sigma sites is shared by various fentanyl derivatives.

125I-Bolton-Hunter-8-methoxy-2-[N-propyl-N-propylamino]tetralin as a new selective radioligand of 5-HT1A sites in the rat brain. In vitro binding and autoradiographic studies.

In vitro binding assays with 125I-[8-methoxy-2-[N-propyl-N-(3'-iodo-4'-hydroxyphenyl)-propionamido -N'- propylamino] tetralin] (125I-BH-8-MeO-N-PAT), a 125I-labeled derivative of the potent serotonin (5-HT) agonist 8-hydroxy-2-[di-n-propylamino]tetralin [( 3H]-8-OH-DPAT), showed that this compound recognized specific sites with nanomolar affinity for 5-HT and 5-HT1A ligands such as spiroxatrine, ipsapirone, buspirone and gepirone in rat hippocampal membranes. Comparison of the binding characteristics of 125I-BH-8-MeO-N-PAT with those of [3H]-8-OH-DPAT revealed striking similarities: at the hippocampal level, both binding sites exhibited nanomolar affinity for their respective ligands and the same Bmax; their pharmacological profiles defined by the inhibition of each bound ligand by a series of 26 serotonin, dopamine- or norepinephrine-related agonists and antagonists were identical; and their regional distributions examined by membrane binding assays and autoradiography of labeled brain sections were highly correlated. These observations indicate that 125I-BH-8-MeO-N-PAT is the first 125I-reversible ligand for the selective labeling of 5-HT1A sites in the rat central nervous system.

[125I-BH-8-MeO-N-PAT, a new ligand for the study of 5-HT1A receptors in the central nervous system]. / 125I-BH-8-MeO-N-PAT, un nouveau ligand pour l'étude des récepteurs 5-HT1A dans le système nerveux central.

Specific radioactive ligands are needed for studying the pharmacological properties and the regional distribution of the different classes of 5-HT1 receptors within the central nervous system. We describe here the synthesis and some characteristics of the first iodinated specific ligand of 5-HT1A receptors. Like its parent compound, the agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin or 8-OH-DPAT, [125I]-BH-8-MeO-N-PAT, exhibits a high affinity and excellent selectivity for 5-HT1A sites. Its high specific radioactivity makes this ligand a useful tool for studying 5-HT1A receptors in membranes and sections of the rat brain.

Effect of nutrition on subcellular localization of rat fat-cell lipoprotein lipase.

This study supports the possibility for multiple subcellular forms of lipoprotein lipase. 1. The total activity of lipoprotein lipase per g of intact epididymal adipose tissue from fed rats is much higher than that from starved rats. 2. The isolated fat-cells of fed and of starved rats have lipoprotein lipase of almost the same activity per g of fat-pads. The isolated fat-cells of starved rats have a much higher proportion of total activity per g of the intact tissue than do those of fed rats. 3. Under the conditions of homogenization used, only a small proportion of the total activity per g of intact tissue from fed rats was associated with the fat layer which floated to the top of the homogenate during low-speed centrifugation. The different proportions of the specific enzyme activity found in each subcellular fraction are described. 4. Lipoprotein lipase from plasma membranes and microsomal fractions from starved and fed rats was purified by affinity chromatography. 5. The total activity of microsomal lipoprotein lipase per g of intact adipose tissue is enhanced by a normal diet. 6. In intact epididymal adipose tissue from fed rats, the activity per g of tissue of lipoprotein lipase of plasma membranes is much higher than that in the same fraction from starved rats. By contrast, the activities per g of tissue in plasma membranes obtained from starved or from fed rats by collagenase treatment were similar.

Affinity chromatography on heparin-sepharose of rat adipose tissue triglyceride lipase from cytosol.

Subfractionation of the fat free homogenate of rat adipose tissue showed that a high yield of triglyceride lipase was recovered reproducibly in the microsomal supernatant fraction (cytosol) when rat epididymal fat pads were homogenized in sucrose-EDTA-Tris medium. Triglyceride lipase was bound on heparin-Sepharose. Hydrolyzing activity towards triacylglycerol was eluted as a single, sharp peak in 0.7 M NaCl, 5 mM sodium barbital and 20% glycerol (pH 7.0). The triglyceride lipase was not inhibited by 1 M NaCl and not stimulated by the presence of fresh human serum. A lipoprotein-lipase activity was demonstrable in the cytosol when adipose tissue from fed rats were used. Fasting of the animals lowered this activity.

Purification of rat adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase by affinity chromatography.

Lipoprotein lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) from rat adipose tissue was purified by affinity chromatography with heparin-Sepharose. Elution was carried out with buffered solutions of increasing NaCl molarity. Proteins without affinity for heparin were eluted with 0.5 M NaCl, while lipoprotein lipase activity was eluted as two peaks with 1.16 M NaCl (In earlier work on human adipose tissue (Etienne et al. (1974) C.R. Acad. Sc. Paris 279, 1487-1490) two fractions with lipoprotein lipase activity were also obtained). Phospholipase activity was detected in the fraction eluted with buffered 0.5 M NaCl and containing proteins without affinity for heparin. On feeding the fasting rats with fresh cream or glucose two peaks were also obtained, but the first peak had clearly increased while the second one had remained virtually unchanged.

[Subcellular localization of rat adipocyte lipoprotein lipase]. / Localisation sub-cellulaire de la lipoprotéine-lipase dans l'adipocyte de rat

The sub-cellular localisation in rat fat cells of lipoprotein lipase is discussed in this paper. The lipoprotein lipase was found with maximum activity in the microsomal fraction. Some special features of this activity in membrane fraction are pointed out.