Nitric oxide mediates human chorionic gonadotrophin-induced prostaglandin E generation in rat oocyte–cumulus complexes

Abstract

To determine whether nitric oxide (NO) generation mediates human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)-induced prostaglandin E (PGE) secretion by oocyte–cumulus complexes (OCC), the secretion of PGE by cultured rat OCC in the presence of NO donors and NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors was characterized. NO donors (sodium nitroprusside and 3-morpholino-sydnonimine- hydrochloride) increased PGE accumulation in OCC to values similar to those obtained in the presence of hCG. The three NOS inhibitors tested (N G -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, N^G -monomethyl-L-arginine and aminoguanidine) prevented the hCG-induced PGE accumulation in cultured OCC. This effect appears to be specific since D-enantiomers N^G -nitro-D-arginine methyl ester and N^G -monomethyl-D-arginine had no effect. The present results suggest that NO mediates the hCG-induced accumulation of PGE in rat OCC, a process which may occur in vivo in preovulatory follicles prior to ovulation.