Méthodologie de l'étude endocrinienne d'une espèce sauvage, l'Anguille

Abstract

Studying hormonal regulations which are responsible for the control of main functions such as development, growth and reproduction, is of special interest in the eel, due to the peculiar biological cycle of this fish. Such a study has both fondamental aims (knowledge of eel biology, use of the eel as a model, ecophysiology, evolution) and applied ones (characteristics of eel populations, control of eel biological cycle). However, the complexity and the present lack of data on the eel biological cycle provide special difficulties (lack of natural references concerning th e physiological characteristics and the environmental conditions of the last steps of the cycle), in addition to those encountered with the study of a peculiar species (need for development of specific research tools), a wild species (physiological and genetical heterogeneity of the animals) and an endangered species (limitation of the number of experimental animals). The use of various investigation methods, including development of molecular tools (hormonal purification, antibodies production, immunological assays, cloning and probe obtention), in vitro (cell culture, organ incubation or perifusion) and in vivo (gland ablation, hormonal treatments, blood samples...) studies as well as field experiments, leads to a whole and integrative approach of eel endocrinology.