Inhibin : with an old concept towards a new approach in reproductive physiology

Fertility in mammals ~as recei~ed considerable attention as far back as written reports exist. In the last centennium, the study of fertility has surpassed the level of merely descriptive and empirical science and has been applied to solve some problems of the regulation of fertility. This has contributed to the treatment of fertility disorders arid to birth control in man, as well as to improvement of animal husbandry. Our knowledge of the processes controlling fertility has increased due to clinical observations and the use of experimental techniques ranging from para- biosis experiments, castration and hypophysectomy to brain l~sions and 'implantations of materials such as tissue fragments. Information has been obtained about the interplay between central nervous structures, pituitary gland and the gonads, and about the role of hormones secreted by these organs. In the most simple scheme, these interactions firstly involve the control and release of hypothalamic releasing factors, which reach the anterior pituitary gland by way of the portal vessels. In turn, the pituitary gland releases in both male and female animals gonadotrophic hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). These hormones enter the circulation and reach their end-organs, testes or ovaries, in which they influence both morphology and function. The testes and ovaries, apart from producing gametes, respond with the production of gonadal hormones, which do not only control the secretion of hypothalamic releasing factors and the pituitary secretion of FSR and LH, but also influence the development and maintainance of acces_sory sex organs, secondary sex characteristics and sexual behaviour. One of the problems in testicular and ovarian (patho)physiology is the nature and action of these gonadal hormones

FSH response in prepubertal male and female rats to inhibin-like activity as present in follicular fluid

International audienc

Management of an Integrated Project (Sens-it-iv) to Develop In Vitro Tests to Assess Sensitisation

Sens-it-iv (www.sens-it-iv.eu) is an Integrated Project funded by Framework Programme 6 (FP6) whose overall objective is to develop in vitro tests and test strategies, to be used by the chemical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, to assess the risk for potential contact and respiratory sensitisers. Such tests, once formally validated, will allow the evaluation of the sensitising potential of existing and new chemical entities and products of the European industries, for classification and labelling as required by the new EU legislation on chemicals or for the purpose of risk assessment as required by the 7th amendment to the Cosmetics Directive. Sens-it-iv involves 28 partners representing Industries, SMEs, Universities and Regulatory bodies. The project joins different institutes of different European Member States and different competencies, all with the common aim to achieve a final deliverable i.e. increasing the safety of consumer products while reducing animal experimentation. This paper provides an overview of the project structure and a detailed description of the management organization.JRC.I.2-Validation of biomedical testing method

Management of an integrated project (Sens-it-iv) to develop in vitro tests to assess sensitisation

Sens-it-iv is an integrated project, funded by European Commission Framework Programme 6, the overall objective of which is to develop in vitro tests and test strategies to be used by the chemical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries to assess the risk for potential contact and respiratory sensitisers. Such tests, once formally validated and accepted, will permit the evaluation of the sensitising potential of existing and new chemical entities and the products of the European industries for classification and labelling, as required by the new EU REACH legislation on chemicals, or for the purpose of risk assessment as required by the 7th Amendment to the EU Cosmetics Directive. Sens-it-iv involves 28 partners, representing industries, universities and regulatory bodies, including various institutes in the EU Member States and different competencies, all with the common aim of achieving a final deliverable - increasing the safety of consumer products, whilst reducing animal experimentation. This paper provides an overview of the structure of the project and a detailed description of the organisation of its management