Sundaresan N R, Saxena V K, Sastry K V H, Anish D, Saxena M, Nagarajan K, Ahmed K A
Disease Genetics and Biotechnology Laboratory, Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, India.
Anim Reprod Sci. 2007 Oct;101(3-4):351-7. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2007.01.011. Epub 2007 Jan 16.
Nitric oxide (NO) has recently emerged as a regulator of functional and structural regression in mammalian reproductive tissues. However, the role of NO in ovulation and postovulatory follicles (POF) that undergo regression in laying birds is unclear. In the present investigation, the expression profiles of iNOS mRNA, tissue NO levels and the percentage of apoptotic cells were studied in the regressing chicken postovulatory follicle (POF). The postovulatory follicles gradually lost weight during its regression and reached the lowest weight on POF5. The number of apoptotic cells was increased significantly during the regression of POF. The mRNA expression of iNOS was noticed in the second largest preovulatory follicle (F2) that subsequently increased in the largest preovulatory follicle (F1). However, the level of iNOS mRNA was declined immediately after ovulation and thereafter upregulated again to reach a peak in POF3 with a subsequent reduction in POF5 to below the basal level. The tissue NO levels followed a similar pattern except with a peak production in POF4. The gross regression and apoptosis in POFs were well associated with iNOS expression and NO production. In conclusion, NO appears to play a role in ovulation and regression of postovulatory follicle in chicken.
一氧化氮（NO）最近已成为哺乳动物生殖组织功能和结构退化的调节因子。然而，NO在产蛋鸟类排卵和排卵后经历退化的卵泡（POF）中的作用尚不清楚。在本研究中，对退化中的鸡排卵后卵泡（POF）中诱导型一氧化氮合酶（iNOS）mRNA的表达谱、组织NO水平和凋亡细胞百分比进行了研究。排卵后卵泡在退化过程中逐渐失重，在POF5时达到最低重量。在POF退化过程中，凋亡细胞数量显著增加。在第二大排卵前卵泡（F2）中观察到iNOS的mRNA表达，随后在最大的排卵前卵泡（F1）中增加。然而，iNOS mRNA水平在排卵后立即下降，此后再次上调，在POF3中达到峰值，随后在POF5中降至基础水平以下。组织NO水平遵循类似模式，只是在POF4中产生峰值。POF的总体退化和凋亡与iNOS表达和NO产生密切相关。总之，NO似乎在鸡排卵和排卵后卵泡退化中起作用。
