title: Activation of pig oocytes using nitric oxide donors.
abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in intracellular signaling, but its role during the activation of mammalian oocytes is little understood. In our study, in vitro matured pig oocytes were cultured with NO-donors-S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) or sodium nitropruside (SNP). These treatments were able to induce parthenogenetic activation of pig oocytes matured in vitro. The specificity of this effect was confirmed by the activation of oocytes by exogenous endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) microinjected in the oocyte with its activator calmodulin. Relatively long exposure (10 hr) is needed for activation of pig oocytes with 2.0 mM SNAP. An active NOS is necessary for the NO-dependent activation of pig oocytes because NOS inhibitors L-NMMA or L-NAME are able to inhibit activation of oocytes with NO-donor SNAP. On the basis of our data, we conclude that the NO-dependent activating stimulus seems inadequate because it did not induce the exocytosis of cortical granules. Also, the cleavage of parthenogenetic embryos was very low, and embryos did not develop beyond the stage of eight blastomeres.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Animal Production, Prague, Uhrínìves, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petr
authors.forename: Radko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajmon
authors.forename: Jirí
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rozinek
authors.forename: Markéta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sedmíková
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeseta
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chmelíková
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Svestková
authors.forename: Frantisek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jílek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; C110881:S-nitro-N-acetylpenicillamine; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D010396:Penicillamine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester