Role of nitric oxide in the regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and tyrosine hydroxylase gene expression in the male rat brain

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 792; no. 1; pp. 66 - 71
• Main Authors: Wang, Hongbo, Li, Songyun, Pelletier, Georges
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 04.05.1998; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Animals; Autoradiography; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - enzymology; Brain - growth & development; Enzyme Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - physiology; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic - physiology; Gonadotropin-releasing hormone; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone - physiology; Hormones and neuropeptides. Regulation; Hypothalamus; Hypothalamus. Hypophysis. Epiphysis. Urophysis; In Situ Hybridization; Injections, Intraventricular; Male; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - physiology; Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase - genetics; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase - metabolism; Tyrosine hydroxylase; Vertebrates: endocrinology; Gonadotropin-releasing hormone; Tyrosine hydroxylase; Hypothalamus; Gene expression; Nitric oxide; Rat; Enzyme; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Gonadotropin RH; Male; Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase; Hypothalamic hormone; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Oxidoreductases; Hormone releasing factor; Brain (vertebrata)
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-8993(98)00122-X
• ISSN: 0006-8993

It has been recently demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO), a free radical gas which may act as neurotransmitter in the brain, can stimulate the in vivo release of luteinizing hormone as well as the in vitro hypothalamic release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). In order to study the influence of NO on GnRH mRNA expression, two inhibitors of NO synthase (NOS) N G-monomethyl- l-arginine (NMMA) and HP-228, were microinjected into the left lateral ventricle of sham-operated and castrated male rats 4 h before sacrifice. Since the dopaminergic system can positively influence GnRH gene expression, we have also measured in the same animals tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA in tuberoinfundibular dopamine (TIDA) neurons. GnRH and TH mRNA levels were measured at the cellular level by quantitative in situ hybridization. The injection of HP-228 or NMMA induced a similar decrease (−19.5%) in GnRH mRNA. In castrated animals, the hybridization signal was 88% higher than that observed in sham-operated animals. Both HP-228 and NMMA produced in castrated animals a 39% decrease in GnRH mRNA. In contrast the injection of NOS inhibitors resulted in an increase in the amount of TH mRNA in TIDA neurons. The stimulating effect was more striking in HP-228-treated (+60%) than in NMMA-treated (+32%) animals. Castration did not induce any changes in the number of silver grains overlying TIDA neurons, while the administration of either HP-228 or NMMA induced a 43% increase in castrated animals. These results together with previous ones on GnRH release in vitro suggest that NO exerts a positive influence not only on the secretion but also on the biosynthesis of GnRH. Since NO appears to play a role in the negative regulation of dopamine, it is likely that the increase in GnRH mRNA expression is not mediated by the TIDA system.