Risks of in utero analgesics and non steroidal anti-inflammatory exposure on the early development and maturation of the male reproductive organs in mice

Les analgésiques tel que le paracétamol, ou acétaminophène (ACE), et les anti-inflammatoires non stéroïdiens (AINS) comme l’aspirine et l’ibuprofène, sont largement utilisés dans le monde pour soulager douleur, fièvre ou inflammation. Ces médicaments, vendus sans ordonnance et souvent pris en automédication, sont de plus en plus utilisés par les femmes enceintes depuis les années 1990, notamment aux États-Unis et en Europe. De nombreuses études de cohorte ont mis en avant l’association entre la prise de ces molécules par les femmes durant le premier et deuxième trimestre de grossesse, et l’apparition de malformations congénitales des organes reproducteurs des garçons nouveau-nés, comme la cryptorchidie ou l’hypospadias. Ces analgésiques inhibent l’activité enzymatique des cyclooxygénases (Cox), qui catalysent l’étape clef de la voie de biosynthèse des prostaglandines (PGs), dont la prostaglandine D2 (PGD2), impliquée dans la détermination sexuelle des lignées somatique et germinale de la gonade mâle chez la souris. Afin d’étudier si la gonade embryonnaire peut constituer une cible de ces molécules, l’objectif principal de cette thèse a été d’analyser l’impact de l’exposition in utero à l’ACE, l’aspirine et l’ibuprofène seuls ou en combinaison, pendant la période de détermination sexuelle (de 10,5 à 13,5 jours post coitum (jpc) chez la souris). Des doses « thérapeutiques » similaires à celles utilisées chez l’Homme ont été administrées par voie orale. Mon travail a permis de démontrer que l’exposition in utero à la combinaison des deux drogues ACE et ibuprofène induisait, dans le testicule embryonnaire, une accélération de la différenciation de la lignée germinale du testicule embryonnaire, précurseurs des gamètes à l’âge adulte, par le biais d’une reprogrammation épigénétique avancée, ainsi qu’une augmentation du stockage du glycogène dans les cordons testiculaires, via l’activation de l’expression des gènes de la matrice extracellulaire. De plus, ce projet a permis d’identifier pour la première fois le profil d’expression des prostaglandines dans le testicule embryonnaire de souris. Dans un deuxième temps, l’impact de l’exposition in utero à ces drogues sur la stéroïdogenèse a été étudié, en parallèle avec l’étude sur le rôle de la PGD2 dans les cellules stéroïdogènes (cellules de Leydig) dans le testicule fœtal de souris à 17,5 jpc. Ces résultats pourraient conduire à modifier l’utilisation de ces médicaments chez la femme, au cours des deux premiers trimestres de grossesse.Mild analgesics such as paracetamol, or acetaminophen (ACE), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen, are widely used worldwide for relieving pain, fever or inflammation. These over-the-counter drugs are often taken as self-medication, and are increasingly used by pregnant women since the 1990s, particularly in the United States and Europe. Many cohort studies have highlighted the association between intake of these molecules by women during the first and second trimester of pregnancy, and the occurrence of birth defects of the reproductive organs of newborn boys, such as cryptorchidism or hypospadias. These analgesics inhibit the enzymatic activity of cyclooxygenases (Cox), which catalyze key step in the biosynthetic pathway of prostaglandins (PGs), whose prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), involved in the male sex determination of both somatic and germinal lineages in mice. To investigate whether the embryonic gonad can be a target of these molecules, the main objective of this thesis was to analyze the impact of in utero exposure to ACE, aspirin and ibuprofen alone or in combination, during the period of sex determination (10.5 to 13.5 days post coitum (dpc) in mice). "Therapeutic" doses similar to those used in humans were orally administered. My work has shown that in utero exposure to the combination of both ACE and ibuprofen drugs induced acceleration of the differentiation of the embryonic testis germline, the precursors of gametes in adulthood, through an advanced epigenetic reprogramming, and an increase of glycogen storage in the testicular cords, via activation of extracellular matrix gene expression. In addition, this project has identified for the first time the profile of prostaglandins expression in mouse embryonic testis. Secondly, the impact of in utero exposure to these drugs on steroidogenesis was evaluated, in parallel with the study on the role of PGD2 in steroidogenic cells (Leydig cells) in mouse fetal 17.5 dpc testis. These results could lead to change the use of these drugs in women, during the first two trimesters of pregnancy

Intergenerational effects on mouse sperm quality after in utero exposure to acetaminophen and ibuprofen

International audienceNonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and analgesic drugs, such as N-acetyl- p-aminophenol (APAP; acetaminophen, paracetamol), are widely used by pregnant women. Accumulating evidence has indicated that these molecules can favor genital malformations in newborn boys and reproductive disorders in adults. However, the consequences on postnatal testis development and adult reproductive health after exposure during early embryogenesis are still unknown. Using the mouse model, we show that in utero exposure to therapeutic doses of the widely used APAP-ibuprofen combination during the sex determination period leads to early differentiation and decreased proliferation of male embryonic germ cells, and early 5-methylcytosine and extracellular matrix protein deposition in 13.5 d postcoitum exposed testes. Consequently, in postnatal testes, Sertoli-cell maturation is delayed, the Leydig-cell compartment is hyperplasic, and the spermatogonia A pool is decreased. This results in a reduced production of testosterone and in epididymal sperm parameter defects. We observed a reduced sperm count (19%) in utero-exposed (F0) adult males and also a reduced sperm motility (40%) in their offspring (F1) when both parents were exposed, which leads to subfertility among the 6 mo old F1 animals. Our study suggests that the use of these drugs during the critical period of sex determination affects the germ-line development and leads to adverse effects that could be passed to the offspring.-Rossitto, M., Marchive, C., Pruvost, A., Sellem, E., Ghettas, A., Badiou, S., Sutra, T., Poulat, F., Philibert, P., Boizet-Bonhoure, B. Intergenerational effects on mouse sperm quality after in utero exposure to acetaminophen and ibuprofen

In utero exposure to acetaminophen and ibuprofen leads to intergenerational accelerated reproductive aging in female mice

International audienceNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesic drugs, such as acetaminophen (APAP), are frequently taken during pregnancy, even in combination. However, they can favour genital malformations in newborn boys and reproductive disorders in adults. Conversely, the consequences on postnatal ovarian development and female reproductive health after in utero exposure are unknown. Here, we found that in mice, in utero exposure to therapeutic doses of the APAP-ibuprofen combination during sex determination led to delayed meiosis entry and progression in female F1 embryonic germ cells. Consequently, follicular activation was reduced in postnatal ovaries through the AKT/FOXO3 pathway, leading in F2 animals to subfertility, accelerated ovarian aging with abnormal corpus luteum persistence, due to decreased apoptosis and increased AKT-mediated luteal cell survival. Our study suggests that administration of these drugs during the critical period of sex determination could lead in humans to adverse effects that might be passed to the offspring

TRIM28-dependent SUMOylation protects the adult ovary from activation of the testicular pathway

International audienceGonadal sexual fate in mammals is determined during embryonic development and must be actively maintained in adulthood. In the mouse ovary, oestrogen receptors and FOXL2 protect ovarian granulosa cells from transdifferentiation into Sertoli cells, their testicular counterpart. However, the mechanism underlying their protective effect is unknown. Here, we show that TRIM28 is required to prevent female-to-male sex reversal of the mouse ovary after birth. We found that upon loss of Trim28 , ovarian granulosa cells transdifferentiate to Sertoli cells through an intermediate cell type, different from gonadal embryonic progenitors. TRIM28 is recruited on chromatin in the proximity of FOXL2 to maintain the ovarian pathway and to repress testicular-specific genes. The role of TRIM28 in ovarian maintenance depends on its E3-SUMO ligase activity that regulates the sex-specific SUMOylation profile of ovarian-specific genes. Our study identifies TRIM28 as a key factor in protecting the adult ovary from the testicular pathway

In mammalian foetal testes, SOX9 regulates expression of its target genes by binding to genomic regions with conserved signatures

International audienceIn mammalian embryonic gonads, SOX9 is required for the determination of Sertoli cells that orchestrate testis morphogenesis. To identify genetic networks directly regulated by SOX9, we combined analysis of SOX9-bound chromatin regions from murine and bovine foetal testes with sequencing of RNA samples from mouse testes lacking Sox9. We found that SOX9 controls a conserved genetic programme that involves most of the sex-determining genes. In foetal testes, SOX9 modulates both transcription and directly or indirectly sex-specific differential splicing of its target genes through binding to genomic regions with sequence motifs that are conserved among mammals and that we called 'Sertoli Cell Signature' (SCS). The SCS is characterized by a precise organization of binding motifs for the Sertoli cell reprogramming factors SOX9, GATA4 and DMRT1. As SOX9 biological role in mammalian gonads is to determine Sertoli cells, we correlated this genomic signature with the presence of SOX9 on chromatin in foetal testes, therefore equating this signature to a genomic bar code of the fate of foetal Sertoli cells. Starting from the hypothesis that nuclear factors that bind to genomic regions with SCS could functionally interact with SOX9, we identified TRIM28 as a new SOX9 partner in foetal testes