bombom
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 6, 2013
- 614
- 226
Nitric oxide (NO) plays a crucial role in reproduction at every level in the organism. In the brain, it activates the release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). The axons of the LHRH neurons project to the mating centers in the brain stem and by afferent pathways evoke the lordosis reflex in female. In males, there is activation of Nitrogen Oxide ergic terminals that release Nitrogen Oxide in the corpora cavernosa penis to induce erection by generation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Nitrogen Oxide also activates the release of LHRH which reaches the pituitary and activates the release of gonadotropins by activating neural Nitrogen Oxide synthase (nNOS) in the pituitary gland. In the gonad, Nitrogen Oxide plays an important role in inducing ovulation and in causing luteolysis, whereas in the reproductive tract, it relaxes uterine muscle via cGMP and constricts it via prostaglandins (PG).