[Effect of NO on meiotic maturation of the oocytes in mice in vitro].

The preimplantation period is known to be critical for the normal murine development. Although the importance of nitric oxide during gestation was demonstrated, its role in the meiotic maturation of oocytes has not been defined yet. Effects of NO donor SNP and an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) L-NMMA on the meiotic maturation of the murine oocytes were studied in experiments in vitro. The results have shown that an activity of NOS in an oocyte was necessary for meiotic maturation; NO influenced the process of resumption of the oocyte maturation. Those results evidence that NO is a key modulator of the oocyte meiotic maturation in vitro.