title: Disruption of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene affects ovulation, fertilization and early embryo survival in a knockout mouse model.
abstract: Two consecutive experiments determined whether disruption of the endothelial nitric oxide synthases (NOS) gene (Nos3) affects ovulation, fertilization, implantation, and embryo development. In the first trial, Nos3-knockout mice (groups Nos3(-/-)) and wild-type mice (groups Nos3(+/+)) showed significant differences in mean number of corpora lutea (9.7+/-1.2 in Nos3(-/-) versus 14.2+/-1.2 in Nos3(+/+); P<0.01), rate of anovulation (48.3+/-7.3% in Nos3(-/-) versus 29.7+/-6.3 in Nos3(+/+); P<0.05), total mean number of recovered oocytes/zygotes (4.0+/-1.1 in Nos3(-/-) versus 10.4+/-1.6 in Nos3(+/+); P<0.01), and non-fertilization rate (50.7 in Nos3(-/-) versus 3.3% in Nos3(+/+); P<0.001). In the second trial, implantation and early pregnancy losses in Nos3-knockout and wild-type dams were detected by real-time ultrasound imaging. The number of embryos reaching implantation was higher in Nos3(+/+) than in Nos3(-/-) mice (7.5+/-0.4 vs 4.0+/-0.4; P<0.005); thereafter, embryo losses were detected between days 8.5 and 13.5, in 62.5% of the Nos3-knockout dams and, at days 10.5 and 11.5, in 16.7% of the control females (P<0.005). Thus, NO and NOS3 deficiencies affect reproductive and developmental features in the Nos3-knockout mouse model.
authors.affiliation: Fundacion Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Melchor Fernandez Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pallares
authors.forename: Rosa A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Garcia-Fernandez
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Criado
authors.forename: Claudia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Letelier
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Toro
authors.forename: Juana M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Bulnes
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D005313:Fetal Death; D005865:Gestational Age; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010060:Ovulation / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III