Biomedical subjects

Josephine G Lemmen

Publications and source records attributed to Josephine G Lemmen.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Eggs forever?

A group of scientists from Harvard Medical School (Johnson et al., 2004) claims to have "established the existence of proliferative germ cells that sustain oocyte and follicle production in the postnatal mammalian ovary," expressing no doubts about their methods, results and conclusion. Johnson et al. based their conclusions of oocyte and follicular renewal from existing germline stem cells (GSC) in the postnatal mouse ovary on three types of observations: (1) A claimed discordance in follicle loss versus follicle atresia in the neonatal period and in the following pubertal and adult period; (2) immunohistochemical detection of proliferating GSC with meiotic capacity using combined markers for meiosis, germline, and mitosis; and (3) neo-folliculogenesis in ovarian chimeric grafting experiments with adult mice. Oogenesis is the process that transforms the proliferative oogonium into an oocyte through meiosis, followed by folliculogenesis and follicular and oocyte maturation. The most crucial part in producing a functional oocyte is firstly, initiation and completion of the first meiotic prophase, and secondly, enclosure of the resulting diplotene oocyte in a follicle. Neither of these two events has been shown to take place in Johnson et al.'s study of the postnatal mouse ovary. We hereby address the observations underpinning their hypothesis and conclude that it is premature to replace the paradigm that adult mammalian neo-oogenesis/folliculogenesis does not take place.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

In vivo imaging of activated estrogen receptors in utero by estrogens and bisphenol A.

Environmental estrogens are of particular concern when exposure occurs during embryonic development. Although there are good models to study estrogenic activity of chemicals in adult animals, developmental exposure is much more difficult to test. The weak estrogenic activity of the environmental estrogen bisphenol A (BPA) in embryos is controversial. We have recently generated transgenic mice that carry a reporter construct with estrogen-responsive elements coupled to luciferase. We show that, using this in vivo model in combination with the IVIS imaging system, activation of estrogen receptors (ERs) by maternally applied BPA and other estrogens can be detected in living embryos in utero. Eight hours after exposure to 1 mg/kg BPA, ER transactivation could be significantly induced in the embryos. This was more potent than would be estimated from in vitro assays, although its intrinsic activity is still lower than that of diethylstilbestrol and 17beta-estradiol dipropionate. On the basis of these results, we conclude that the estrogenic potency of BPA estimated using in vitro assays might underestimate its estrogenic potential in embryos.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

In vitro antiestrogenic effects of aryl methyl sulfone metabolites of polychlorinated biphenyls and 2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethene on 17beta-estradiol-induced gene expression in several bioassay systems.

Methylsulfonyl (MeSO(2)) metabolites of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethene (4,4'-DDE), itself a metabolite of the insecticide 4,4'-DDT, are emerging as a major class of contaminants in the tissues of wildlife and humans. We investigated the antiestrogenic capacity and potencies of 3'- and 4'-MeSO(2)-2,2',4,5,5'-pentachlorobiphenyl (CB101) and -2,2',4,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (CB49), which are among the most environmentally persistent MeSO(2)-PCBs, and 3-MeSO(2)-4,4'-DDE on estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent gene expression in four cell-based bioassay systems. Congener- and concentration-dependent antagonism of 17beta-estradiol (E2)-induced gene expression, rather than induction of ER-dependent gene expression, was observed for the MeSO(2)-PCBs on lucifierase activity in stably transfected human breast adenocarcinoma T47D cells (ER-CALUX) and vitellogenin (vtg) production in primary hepatocytes from male carp fish (Cyprinus carpio) (CARP-HEP/vtg). 4'-MeSO(2)-CB101 and -CB49 had the highest antagonistic potency (i.e., maximum inhibition of about 70%, LOECs of 1.0 microM and 2.5 microM), whereas 3'-MeSO(2)-CB101 and -CB49 were less antagonistic; the precursor CB101 and MeSO(2)-PCB analog MeSO(2)-2,5-dichlorobenzene had no effect. Relative to the 4-MeSO(2)-PCBs, tamoxifen (IC(50), 0.06 microM and 0.7 microM) was about 40 and 7 times more potent in the ER-CALUX and CARP-HEP/vtg assays, respectively. Congener- and concentration-dependent effects on aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated induction of EROD activity (carp hepatocytes), luciferase expression (H4IIE rat hepatoma [H4IIE.luc] cell line), or cell viability were not observed. 3-MeSO(2)-4,4'-DDE was neither estrogenic nor antiestrogenic in either of the bioassays. Inhibitory trends for the MeSO(2)-PCBs in a bioassay based on stably transfected human embryonic kidney cell (HEK293-ERalpha-ERE) were similar to the ER-CALUX and CARP-HEP/vtg bioassays, whereas the antagonism was weaker in a related HEK293-ERbeta-ERE bioassay. Our findings suggest that the 4'-MeSO(2)-PCBs are antiestrogenic in vitro via a reversible or surmountable interaction with fish or human ER, and that the interaction with human ERalpha is apparently favored over ERbeta. MeSO(2)-PCB metabolites are persistent and bioaccumulative contaminants, and therefore, could be potentially active as environmental antiestrogens in wildlife and humans.

Adenocarcinoma↗