title: Inverse relationship between nitric oxide synthases and endothelin-1 synthesis in bovine corpus luteum: interactions at the level of luteal endothelial cell.
abstract: Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) play pivotal roles in corpus luteum (CL) function. The present study examined the interplay between NO and ET-1 synthesis in the bovine CL. We found similar inducible and endothelial NO synthase (iNOS and eNOS, respectively) activities in the young CL (d 1-5) expressing the highest levels of both eNOS and iNOS mRNA. These values later declined at mid-cycle (d 8-15) and remained low at later stages (d 16-18). Luteolysis, initiated by prostaglandin F2alpha analog administration, further reduced NOS mRNA and by 24 h, NOS values dropped to approximately 15% of those at mid-cycle. eNOS protein levels followed a similar pattern to its mRNA. Because endothelial cells (ECs) are the main site for ET-1 and NO production in the CL, we examined the direct effects of the NO donor, NONOate on luteal ECs (LECs). Elevated NO levels markedly decreased ET-1 mRNA, and peptide concentrations in cultured and freshly isolated LECs in a dose-dependent manner. In agreement, NOS inhibitor, NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, stimulated ET-1 mRNA expression in these cells. Interestingly, NO also up-regulated prostaglandin F2alpha receptors in LECs. These data show that there is an inverse relationship between NOS and ET-1 throughout the CL life span, and imply that this pattern may be the result of their interaction within the resident LECs. NOS are expressed in a physiologically relevant manner: elevated NO at an early luteal stage is likely to play an important role in angiogenesis, whereas reduced levels of NO during luteal regression may facilitate the sustained up-regulation of ET-1 levels during luteolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosiansky-Sultan
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klipper
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spanel-Borowski
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meidan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism*; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000494:pharmacology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D015237:Dinoprost; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester