title: Biochemical and histochemical studies of the effects of cerebral metabolism-improving drugs on NADPH diaphorase activity in mouse brain.
abstract: The effects of cerebral metabolism-improving drugs on NADPH diaphorase activity in the mouse brain were studied, and we found that diaphorase activity in the post-mitochondrial fraction of brain homogenate was enhanced by idebenone in a concentration-dependent manner. Histochemical studies also indicated that diaphorase staining was intensified by idebenone at the same concentration. These results suggest that idebenone may stimulate the production of nitric oxide, probably through its direct action on nitric oxide synthase, thus producing its protective action on neurological disorders due to cerebral hypoxia or ischemia as a consequence of dilating the cerebral blood vessels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Tokushima University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsuruo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kagawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D002831:Choroid Plexus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D016227:Benzoquinones; D014451:Ubiquinone; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase; C036619:idebenone