title: Expression of NADPH-diaphorase activity by guinea-pig paratracheal neurones.
abstract: Pharmacological evidence suggests that nitric oxide (NO) is involved in non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic, nerve mediated responses seen in guinea-pig trachealis muscle. The synthetic enzyme for NO (NO synthase) has recently been shown to be responsible for neuronal NADPH-diaphorase activity. Therefore, to determine whether intrinsic paratracheal neurones could be a source of NO in the trachea, expression of NADPH-diaphorase activity was examined histochemically using whole mount preparations of the tracheal plexus. Many paratracheal neurones were found to express moderate to high levels of NADPH-diaphorase activity and are thus likely to be a source of NO in this tissue. This observation provides further evidence that NO is involved in the regulation of relaxation in airway smooth muscle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hassall
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Saffrey
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnstock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000201:enzymology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000201:enzymology; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D014132:Trachea / Q000294:innervation*
chemical_list: D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase