Evidence for coexistence of ATP and nitric oxide in non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory neurones in the rat ileum, colon and anococcygeus muscle.
The possible coexistence of the two non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory neurotransmitters, adenosine 5'-triphosphate and nitric oxide in the myenteric plexus was investigated using whole-mount preparations of rat ileum, proximal colon and anococcygeus muscle. The presence of adenosine 5'-triphosphate in neurones was examined using the quinacrine fluorescence technique. After localizing and taking photographs of quinacrine-fluorescent neurones and nerve fibres, the same tissues were then fixed and processed for NADPH-diaphorase activity, a marker for nitric oxide-containing neurones. We have demonstrated for the first time that almost all quinacrine-fluorescent myenteric neurones in the proximal colon are also NADPH-diaphorase reactive, while only a subpopulation of quinacrine-fluorescent neurones in ileum and anococcygeus muscle were also NADPH-diaphorase reactive.
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK.
A
A
Belai
G
G
Burnstock
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000294:innervation*; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic / Q000737:chemistry; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D007082:Ileum / Q000294:innervation*; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000737:chemistry*; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D011796:Quinacrine; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013045:Species Specificity; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase; D011796:Quinacrine