Abstract
An impact of nitric oxide (NO) on lactation and milk secretion in mammary glands has previously been documented, but the underlying molecular mechanisms for this modulatory effect remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the expression patterns of NO synthase (NOS)-1, NOS-3 and the NO receptor soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) in mammary glands of lactating and non-lactating female C57/Bl6 mice. RT-PCR demonstrated the existence of NOS-1-mRNA and NOS-3-mRNA in both lactating and resting mammary tissue. Immunoblots loaded with equal amounts of homogenate proteins from lactating and resting mammary tissues revealed comparable intensities of NOS-1 and sGC bands. Performing catalytic NADPH diaphorase histochemistry and immunohistochemistry, NOS-1 was only detected in myoepithelial cells (MEC), while sGC was localized in alveolar epithelial cells (lactocytes) and MEC in both lactating and non-lactating mammary glands. The non-modulated co-expression of both enzymes suggests that NOS-1 and sGC contribute to the constitutive regulation of tone in MEC.
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