Abstracto

Correlation of Nitric oxide and testicular activity in laboratory mouse, Mus musculus

VineetPrakash Singh, Chandra Mohini Chaturvedi

This study helps us to understand the interrelationship between the signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO) and testicular activity. In the first part of the experiment, NO activity (nitrite and nitrate concentration; in the plasma and testes and NOS (nitric oxide synthase) expression; in testis) was analyzed in sexually immature and mature laboratory male mouse, Musmusculus. In the second experiment immature mice were administered with NOS inhibitor N-nitro-larginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 1 mg/100 g body weight) and mature with NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 0.25 mg/100 g body weight) intraperitoneally for 7 days. In the third experiment, both immature and mature mice were administered with testosterone propionate (TP) for 7 days intramuscularly. Results indicate increased NO level and intense expression of ir-NOS (immunoreactive NOS) in sexually immature mice compared to mature. Although NOS inhibitor has no effect on plasma testosterone level of immature mice; NO donor has suppressed testosterone in mature mice. Further, testosterone injection decreased NO level in both the age groups of mice. It is concluded that NO and gonadal activity exhibit inverse relationship not only in control/ basal condition but experimental induction of increased NO level may suppress gonadal activity while exogenous testosterone may suppress NO activity. These findings not only suggest the inverse NO-gonadal relationships but also indicate that modulation of NO activity may affect gonadal activity and vice versa under different physiological / experimental conditions.