title: [Nitric oxide and Hirschsprung's disease: a causal relation biochemically, immunohistochemically and functionally demonstrated].
abstract: Hirschsprung's disease may be due to impaired nonadrenergic-noncholinergic inhibitory input in the aganglionic segment of the colon. It has been suggested that nitric oxide (NO) might be the lacking neurotransmitter. Thus, our specific aims were to determine in ganglionic and aganglionic segments: 1. The activity of the NO synthetase (NO-S); 2. The location of this enzyme; and 3. The "in vitro" basal motor activity of the muscle strips and their responses to an NO donor and to an NO antagonist.
  
  
  METHODS
  NO synthetase activity was quantified in samples of tissue from both aganglionic and ganglionic segments obtained during surgery in 6 patients with Hirschsprung's disease by the transformation of 14C-L-arginine into 14C-L-citrulline in tissue homogenates. Immunohistochemical staining of the tissues was performed using a polyclonal antibody raised against a peptide sequence of rat brain NO synthetase. Furthermore, in 2 patients we measured "in vitro" the tonic response of muscle strips to an exogenous NO donor (sodium nitroprusside) and to an NO antagonist (L-NAME).
  
  
  RESULTS
  NOS activity was undetectable in every aganglionic segment whereas it was present in all ganglionic segments (0.49 +/- 0.09 pmol citrulina/mg.min; mean +/- SE). Immunohistochemically, NO-S was absent in the myenteric plexus of aganglionic segments and it was present in ganglionic segments. "In vitro" basal motor activity of ganglionic segments was normal, with presence of low-frequency contractions (LFC) and summation contraction (SC); in aganglionic segments SC were absent. Sodium nitroprusside induced a marked relaxation (90% from basal) in muscle strips, both aganglionic and ganglionic, precontracted with bethanocol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirugía Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario Materno-Infantil Vall d'Hebrón, Barcelona.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gil-Vernet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marhuenda
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boix-Ochoa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mourelle
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mearin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guarner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moncada
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Malagelada
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester
vernacular_title: Oxido nítrico y enfermedad de Hirschsprung: relación causal demostrada bioquímica, inmunohistoquímica y funcionalmente.