Relative sparing of nitric oxide synthase-containing neurons in the hippocampal formation in Alzheimer's disease.
Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous neuromodulator that may mediate neurotoxic effects of glutamate. NO-synthesizing neurons are, however, resistant to NO- and glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. We now show that NO synthase neurons are selectively spared in patients with Alzheimer's disease, even in a severely affected region of the brain such as the hippocampal formation.
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase
D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases