title: NADPH diaphorase activity in the posterior pituitary: relation to neuronal function.
abstract: Magnocellular neurons of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei, fibers of the medial basal hypothalamus, and the posterior pituitary gland all stain histochemically for NADPH diaphorase activity (NADPHd). Following 8 days of salt loading to stimulate the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system, NADPHd activity, as determined by a spectrophotometric assay, is markedly increased in the posterior pituitary gland but not in the hypothalamus of rats. Therefore, NADPHd activity in this system correlates with neuronal function and may provide a convenient method for the assessment of neuronal activity in selected neuronal populations.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase