Dual effects of nitric oxide in functional and regressing rat corpus luteum

MOTTA, ALICIA BEATRIZ; ESTEVEZ, ALEJANDRA; TOGNETTI TERESITA; GIMENO MARTA ALICIA; FRANCHI ANA MARIA

MOLECULAR HUMAN REPRODUCTION.

OXFORD UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Oxford; Año: 2001 vol. 7 p. 43 - 47

1360-9947

The present study investigated the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the lifespan of the corpus luteum (CL). Using a competitive nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 600 micromol/l), and a long-life NO donor, diethyl-aminetriamine (DETA-NONOate, 10(-8), 10(-6) or 10(-4) mol/l), we found that in ovaries from rats at the mid stage of CL development, endogenous NO increased both glutathione (GSH) and progesterone production. However, during prostaglandin F(2 alpha) (PGF(2 alpha))-induced luteolysis NO acted as an intermediary molecule in the inhibitory effect of PGF(2 alpha), on GSH content. This was supported by the fact that in-vivo PGF(2 alpha) treatment enhanced nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. These results indicate that the NO could act with a dual action (protective or pro-oxidant) in CL development.