title: Dual effects of nitric oxide in functional and regressing rat corpus luteum.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Serrano 669, 1414 Buenos Aires, Argentina. amotta@sion.com
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estevez
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tognetti
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gimeno
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Franchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D011374:Progesterone; D015237:Dinoprost; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D005978:Glutathione; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester