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  • 學位論文

乙二醇甲醚對卵巢功能之影響可能會傳遞至下一代

The Impact of Ethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether on Ovarian Function May Extend to the Next Generation in Female Mice: A Preliminary Study

指導教授 : 陳保中
共同指導教授 : 吳聰捷

摘要


研究目的: 不孕症在人口中比率約十分之一到七分之一, 人數不少並逐年上升, 加上晚婚者亦越來越多, 使更多婦女加長其暴露在職業環境一些不利因子中的時間, 2005年科學雜誌 (Science) 報導環境毒化物可以干擾生殖細胞的基因調控並可影響之後數代, 重要的是這些毒化物有的是可逆或可預防的。 依目前對這些物質的女性生殖毒理研究較少有從卵、受精模式、基因調控、胚胎發育等結合到妊娠結果及子代的發育等微觀機轉直接並一系列之觀察。因此,本研究依美國National Toxicology Program選擇常用溶劑乙二醇甲醚 (ethylene glycol monomethyl ether; EGME) 為毒性暴露物, 以小鼠體外受精為研究模式, 試圖結合傳統荷爾蒙檢測, 精、卵受精情形及胚胎發育,卵巢及顆粒細胞 (granulosa cells) 受毒化物影響導致細胞凋亡 (apoptosis) 與基因調控因子受干擾情形, 和子代發育及其生育力,希望發展出合適的檢測模式, 以期對預防與不孕症的治療有所幫助。 研究方法: 第一步,導入體外受精技術 (in-vitro fertilization; IVF) ,以檢驗EGME在第零代 (暴露代; F0) 與子代 (第一代; F1) 卵與卵丘複合體 (cumulus-oocyte complex; COC) 所造成毒性。先於第零代母鼠暴露EGME一週,劑量分別為0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%,之後予以誘導排卵後取卵,每隻留下10顆COC,其餘去除cumulus cells 只留下卵。這些卵與COC 先經terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) 染色,再以4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)染出所有細胞核,以確定細胞核數目。第一代到第六週體重接近25-30 gm之成熟母鼠則只予以誘導排卵後取卵,之後進行相同實驗步驟。最後計算apoptosis 的程度= The number of TUNEL-positive cells/The number of DAPI-positive cells 第二步,因人類基因檢測模組之取得較易,但人類無法進行暴露毒化物,因此使用嚴重型態之男性不孕症患者之精蟲,即副睪(microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration; MESA) 與睪丸 (testicular sperm extraction; TESE) 直接取精,對照組為自然射精 (EJAC)。這些異常率較高之精子被用來暫代已暴露的配子,我們在執行IVF治療同時使用胚胎植入前遺傳診斷 (preimplantation genetic diagnosis; PGD) 的病人身上觀察其染色體異常率,並可以此當作未來建立檢驗之model. PGD 技術以螢光融合技術(fluorescence in situ hybridization; FISH) 為主。異常染色體分型為: 多套體 (polyploidy),單套體 (haploidy),非整倍體 (aneuploidy) 與複雜型異常 (complex abnormal)。 結果與討論: 第一個實驗,巨觀上,所有第一代母鼠都可以生下小鼠,雖然統計上每一暴露組平均所產下的子代小鼠沒有差異,但隨者劑量增加,變異的情形也加大。卵丘複合體COC 的凋亡率 (apoptosis ratio) 在沒有暴露的子代卻隨著暴露劑量增加而上升。PGD 的觀察研究裡,副睪,睪丸與自然射精所受精之胚胎,染色體異常率並無統計上顯著分別,但其正常率均低於50% (分別為41 ± 31%, 48 ± 38%, and 48 ± 31%, in MESA, TESA, and EJAC) 。 胚胎型態分類包含blastomere number 與分級 (embryo grading),是與染色體型態及正常率成正相關。 結論: 在卵丘細胞所呈現之凋亡率增加的現象應與EGME所造成的生殖毒性有關。而這種生殖毒性似乎會傳遞到下一代,如果可以檢測到第二與第三代(F2, F3),並將觀察後的胚胎植入(embryo transfer) 無暴露之母鼠,便能更確定EGME 的生殖遺傳隔代穿透之特性。PGD 檢驗可以提供更詳細分子層次的檢查,讓我們更清楚異常發於分子層次之位址。合併 IVF 與PGD 之研究系統 (study model),可為生殖毒理帶來更清楚的發生機轉。

並列摘要


Background and objectives: Environmental hazards, such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) and numerous new chemicals cannot be excluded from the impact on the reproductive function. To date, there are guidelines, based on in-vivo animal studies, for reproductive toxicological tests. However, those studies were mostly focused on developmental results such as teratogenicity. Much less molecular information related to fertility had been gained. So far, no sufficient knowledge from in-vitro models can pinpoint the mechanism of hazards on reproduction system. Therefore, within the frame of reproductive toxicology in females, there is an urgent necessity for toxicity-testing systems which are prognostic at the early stage, provide a better approach into the mechanisms leading to reproductive failure, and detect quantitatively and qualitatively the toxic damage to the process of oogenesis. After the animal experiment of reproductive toxicity, we tried to introduce the preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) technology in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) system to clarify the molecular impact of EGME. Thereafter, we established the PGD system by evaluating the patterns of chromosome abnormalities in embryos that derived from intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) and testicular sperm extraction (TESE) patients in comparison to embryos derived from naturally ejaculated patients (EJAC). Those sperm from severe male factors may be damaged by some reasons, including environmental hazards, before fertilization. Thus, the main aim of this study is to explore the effects of EGME on reproductive functions by means of in-vitro culture and fertilization systems. Then, PGD was performed in severe male infertility. Materials and Methods: First, this study assessed the toxicity of EGME on oocytes and cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) by analyzing the number of oocytes in the F0 and F1 generations and evaluating apoptosis in oocytes and COCs after treating the F0 generation with EGME. There was a dose-dependent increase in the apoptosis ratios in the COCs from F1 mice, which were not directly exposed to EGME, with apoptosis ratios of 0.065, 0.102, 0.184, and 0.212 for the 0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% EGME dose groups, respectively. The retrieved COCs and denuded oocytes were prepared for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. As a negative control, the cells were labeling solution without the TdT enzyme; as a positive control, the cells were treated with DNase I. Blue fluorescent nuclei were observed in non-apoptotic cells that were only stained with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Greenish-blue nuclei were observed in apoptotic cells stained with fluorescein in the TUNEL assay. Second, PGD was performed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Chromosome abnormalities were categorized into polyploidy, haploidy, aneuploidy, and complex abnormality, which involved more than two chromosomes. The relationship between the embryo scoring system, combining embryo grading and blastomere numbers, and chromosomal were studied. Results: All of the mice gave birth. There were no significant differences among these groups; however, the variance in pup number among the mice was much higher in the highest dose (0.2%) group compared to the other groups. The apoptosis ratios in the F1 animals, which were not directly exposed to EGME, were significantly different (p=0.002) among the four groups and showed dose-dependent increases. In the PGD study, there was no difference in the rates of fertilization and pregnancy and the percentages of euploid embryos among the MESA, TESE, and EJAC patient groups. In all three groups, less than half of the embryos that were analyzed by PGD were normal (41 ± 31%, 48 ± 38%, and 48 ± 31%, in MESA, TESA, and EJAC, respectively). Complex chromosomal abnormality was significantly more frequent in the MESA group than in the EJAC group (48.3% versus 26.5%, p<0.001). When both blastomere numbers and grades were considered, the 7–8 A/B subgroup had the highest euploidy rates in the MESA/TESE (58.3%), ICSI/EJAC (61.3%) and IVF/EJAC (59.7%) groups. Conclusion: The increased apoptosis of cumulus cells may play a role in the toxicity of EGME toward ovarian function. EGME toxicity seems to affect female offspring in future generation(s). This study model for reproductive toxicology appears useful in diagnosing environmental hazards but further studies including embryo transfer should be considered to bring out more solid results. PGD seems applicable to explore the molecular damage of environmental chemicals. However, advanced technology, such as array comparative genomic hybridization, for whole genome survey should be considered instead of FISH.

參考文獻


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