effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibition on ovarian cystogenesis induced by morphine injection into ventro-medial nucleus of hypothalamus (vmh) of female wistar rats

Background and objective: polycystic ovary (pco) causes infertility and morphine use has been shown to induce this disorder. microinjection of l-name, a competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (nos) into the ventro-medial hypothalamus (vmh) may interfere with this effect as our aimmaterials and methods: female wistar rats with a weight range of 200 to 250 g received morphine (0.001-0.4 µg/rat) intra-vmh with ap coordinates= -1.96. l-name (0.1-0.4 μg/rat, intra-vmh) was used alone or as a pre-injection to the effective dose of morphine. l-arginine (0.1-0.4 μg/rat, intra-vmh) was also injected alone or cumulatively with the inhibitor to elucidate the mechanism. control group received saline (1 µl/rat), intra-vmh. finally, the animals were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine and the ovaries and uterus were dissected and examined pathologically. all data were analyzed using anova (α= 0.05).results: ovaries of morphine-treated rats showed a polycystic appearance, but the number of cysts in rats receiving l-name, intra-vmh, was significantly reduced. l-name/l-arginine intervention in the presence of morphine also had a reducing effect on cyst formation.conclusion: induction of pco by morphine injection in vmh may be involved in opioid receptors signaling and nos enzyme activation, which is slowed by l-name intervention.