title: Sodium nitroprusside treatment during the superovulation process improves ovarian response and ovarian expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in aged female mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether sodium nitroprusside (SNP) treatment during the superovulation process improves ovarian response and oocyte developmental competence in aged female mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Large urban medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  C57BL inbred female mice of three age groups: 6 to 9, 14 to 16, and 25 to 27 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female mice were co-injected intraperitoneally with SNP (1 muM or 10 muM) and pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG), followed by human chorionic gonadotropin injection 48 hours later and then mated with individual males. After 18 hours, zygotes were flushed and the ovaries were isolated. The control group was injected with PMSG.
  
  
  METHODS
  The number of zygotes flushed, embryo development to blastocyst stage, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in ovary.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with SNP statistically significantly increased the number of flushed zygotes and blastocyst formation rate in mice aged 25 to 27 weeks, not but in mice aged less than 16 weeks compared with the control group. The SNP treatment in aged mice increased VEGF expression of the ovary in a dose-dependent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that SNP treatment during the superovulation process improves ovarian response and oocyte developmental competence in aged female. The positive effect of SNP may be associated with increased VEGF expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Hyung
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bo-Sun
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Dong-Soo
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Jong-Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyu-Sup
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013480:Superovulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D009599:Nitroprusside