Journal
JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICAL SCIENCE
Volume 72, Issue 5, Pages 555-560Publisher
JAPAN SOC VET SCI
DOI: 10.1292/jvms.09-0440
Keywords
constant infusion; metyrapone; premature ductus arteriosus; rat
Categories
Funding
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
- Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Previous studies have shown that the dilating effect or nitric oxide (NO) on the fetal ductus arteriosus (DA) is age dependent and more marked in the premature stages in rats, but the factors that mediate this effect are poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to determine the changes in the expression of NO synthase (NOS) mRNA in the fetal DA and to examine the effect of an 11-beta-hydroxylase inhibitor of corticosterone synthesis, namely, metyrapone, on NOS expression. NOS 3 mRNA expression was observed in 17.5-day-old rat fetuses; thereafter, its level significantly increased and reached its peak on day 19.5 and then decreased until the end of the gestation period (day 21.5). To inhibit corticosterone synthesis, a constant infusion of metyrapone was administered to rats; this significantly decreased the fetal plasma corticosterone concentration as well as NOS 3 mRNA expression in the DA in a time-dependent manner. These results indicate that NO is generated by NOS 3 in the DA and that the age-dependant expression of NOS 3 in the premature DA is attributable to corticosterone-associated activity.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available