title: Nitroxergic autonomic neurones in rat spinal cord.
abstract: We have used a polyclonal monospecific antibody to rat cerebellum nitric oxide synthase type I (NOS-I, 160 kD) in combination with reduced NADPH-diaphorase histochemical reaction (NADPH-d) to verify colocalization of both NOS protein and NOS enzymatic activity in the rat spinal cord autonomic system. Strong immunoreactivity (IR) of NOS-I was clearly detected in the four main thoracolumbar autonomic nuclei in spinal cord layers of Rexed's laminae VI, VII and X. In all labelled neurones, NOS-I-IR colocalized with NADPH-d activity, suggesting coexistence of brain-specific NOS-I-like protein and its associated enzyme activity. For these neurones the new term 'nitroxergic' (i.e. NO-generating) neurones appears to be justified. Spinal cord nitroxergic neurones are part of a NO-mediated signal transduction pathway for control of the sympathetic 'outflow' to various peripheral target organs.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anatomie, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blottner
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Baumgarten
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase