title: Nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerve fibers in dog cerebral and peripheral arteries.
abstract: Nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-immunoreactive fibers innervating the dog arterial wall were histochemically determined by the use of NOS antiserum. NOS-immunoreactive fibers were consistently found in every arterial wall examined. In a whole-mount preparation, NOS-positive fibers were detectable in the small pial artery having a diameter of about 100 microns as well as the proximal middle cerebral artery. Further detailed analyses in thin cryostat sections indicated that in middle cerebral, basilar, temporal, mesenteric and femoral arteries, fine NOS-positive fibers were detected in outer zones of the media in addition to many thicker fibers in the adventitia. However, in the coronary artery, many thick fibers were situated in the adventitia, and fine NOS-positive fibers were not found in the media. Injection of ethanol to the pterygopalatine ganglion markedly decreased or abolished the NOS immunoreactivity in nerve cells and fibers and abolished the innervation of NOS-positive fibers in the wall of middle cerebral artery of the ipsilateral side. Together with findings in our previous publications concerning the functional role of nitroxidergic nerve in the control of arterial tone, we conclude that perivascular nerves containing NOS are crucial in eliciting the neurally induced, NO-mediated arterial relaxation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shiga University of Medical Sciences, Ohtsu, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bredt
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Toda
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000294:innervation*; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000294:innervation; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011323:Primates; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D009638:Norepinephrine