title: [Regulatory Role of Nitric Oxide in Development and Hatching of Mouse Blastocysts].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the regulatory role and mechanism of nitric oxide (NO) in the development and hatching of mouse blastocysts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Kunming female mice were superovulated and then mated with mature male mice. On the day 2.5 of their pregnancy, morulae were flushed from their uterine horns with culture media. Morulae were cultured in different concentrations of N-nitro-L arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), or the combination of L-NAME and SNP in culture media for 48 hours. The development and hatching of blastocysts were examined on day 4 and day 5 and the total numbers of blastocyst cells and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (caspase 3) were observed under confocal laser scanning microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the increase of the concentration of L-NAME or SNP, the hatching rate of blastocysts and the total number of blastocyst cells were significantly reduced. The addition of 10 nmol/L SNP in culture media with 5 mmol/L L-NAME significantly increased the development of blastocysts and promoted hatching of blastocysts. However, with increase of SNP concentration in culture media with 5 mmol/L L-NAME, the development and hatching rates of blastocysts were significantly decreased. L-NAME had no obvious effect on the expression of active caspase 3 in blastocyst cells. However,when being above 500 nmol/L,SNP significantly increased the expression of caspase 3 in blastocyst cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NO plays an important role in development and hatching of mouse blastocysts. Excessively high or low NO can damage the division of blastomeres, resulting in the failure of the blastocyst development and hatching. Also, excessively high NO can lead to the apoptosis of the blastocyst cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology,Jilin Medical College,Jilin,Jilin 132013,China 2Reproductive Medicine Center,the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College,Jining,Shandong 272029,China.
authors.forename: Xiao-yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology,Jilin Medical College,Jilin,Jilin 132013,China 2Reproductive Medicine Center,the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College,Jining,Shandong 272029,China.
authors.forename: Zhi-xin
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology,Jilin Medical College,Jilin,Jilin 132013,China 2Reproductive Medicine Center,the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College,Jining,Shandong 272029,China.
authors.forename: Xi-yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue-nan
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology,Jilin Medical College,Jilin,Jilin 132013,China 2Reproductive Medicine Center,the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College,Jining,Shandong 272029,China.
authors.forename: Jian-xin
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology,Jilin Medical College,Jilin,Jilin 132013,China 2Reproductive Medicine Center,the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College,Jining,Shandong 272029,China.
authors.forename: Meng-tong
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology,Jilin Medical College,Jilin,Jilin 132013,China 2Reproductive Medicine Center,the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College,Jining,Shandong 272029,China.
authors.forename: Wen-jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology,Jilin Medical College,Jilin,Jilin 132013,China 2Reproductive Medicine Center,the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College,Jining,Shandong 272029,China.
authors.forename: Hong-he
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology,Jilin Medical College,Jilin,Jilin 132013,China 2Reproductive Medicine Center,the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College,Jining,Shandong 272029,China.
authors.forename: Zhao-hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Dou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D001755:Blastocyst; D003470:Culture Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009599:Nitroprusside; D011247:Pregnancy; D014599:Uterus
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D009599:Nitroprusside; C026512:arginine methyl ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine