Evidence for an Inverse Relationship between Apoptosis and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression in Rat Granulosa Cells: A Possible Role of Nitric Oxide in Ovarian Follicle Atresia

Endocrine Journal

TAKEHIKO KOJI²  HIROTAKA MATSUMI¹  YUTAKA OSUGA¹  NAOMI YANO¹  OSAMU TSUTSUMI¹  MIMO MOMOEDA¹  YUJI TAKETANI¹  TETSU YANO¹ 

[1] Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo;Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine

关键词: Nitric oxide (NO);    Nitric oxide synthase (NOS);    Ovarian follicles;    Granulosa cells;    Apoptosis;   

DOI  :  10.1507/endocrj.45.745

学科分类：内分泌与代谢学

来源: Japan Endocrine Society

【 摘 要 】

References(28)Cited-By(7)Ovarian follicle atresia is thought to be induced through apoptosis of granulosa cells. This study was designed to investigate the possible involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in granulosa cell apoptosis. In immature rat ovaries obtained 48h after pregnant mare serum gonadotropin administration, immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL), a method to detect apoptotic cells, revealed that inducible NO synthase (iNOS) was predominantly localized in granulosa cells in most healthy immature follicles with TUNEL-negative granulosa cells. In contrast, all atretic follicles with TUNEL-positive granulosa cells were iNOS-negative whatever the developmental stage of the follicle. In cultured granulosa cells, the addition of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP), an NO generator, directly inhibited spontaneously occurring apoptosis. These results suggest that NO produced by iNOS in granulosa cells of immature follicles may prevent ovarian follicle atresia by inhibiting granulosa cell apoptosis in an autocrine/paracrine manner.

【 授权许可】

Unknown