Nitric oxide synthase in the brain of a urodele amphibian (Pleurodeles waltl) and its relation to catecholaminergic neuronal structures.
The neuronal structures with NADPH-diaphorase activity and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunoreactivity have been studied in the brain of the urodele amphibian Pleurodeles waltl by means of histochemical and immunocytochemical techniques. Both approaches resulted in the selective labeling of the same neurons and fiber tracts in the brain, except for the primary olfactory fibers that did not stain for NOS but were positive for NADPH-diaphorase. NOS-containing neurons were found in the olfactory bulbs, pallial regions, septum, caudal striatum, amygdala and preoptic area. Only a few diencephalic cells were labeled in the posterior tubercle and ventral hypothalamus. In the brainstem, abundant cells were labeled in the tectum, mesencephalic tegmentum and isthmic region. The most conspicuous cell population was found in the isthmic-pretrigeminal region. Particularly well stained cells were distributed throughout the rhombencephalon in areas related to the descending trigeminal tract, solitary tract, raphe nucleus and the mid-caudal reticular formation. In the cervical spinal cord, NOS-containing cells were present in the dorsal, intermediate and ventral grey fields. Cells in the preoptic, postotic and dorsal root ganglia were also labeled. Double labeling techniques revealed an extensive codistribution of neurons with NOS and catecholamines in the urodele brain but actual colocalization in the same cells was never observed. The organization of the central systems in urodeles with NOS appears to share many features not only with other anamniotes but also with amniotes.
González
A
A
Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense of Madrid, Spain. agustin@eucmax.sim.ucm.es
Muñoz
A
A
Muñoz
M
M
Marín
O
O
Arévalo
R
R
Porteros
A
A
Alonso
J R
JR
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000032:analysis*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010999:Pleurodeles; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis*
D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase