title: Visualisation of nitric oxide released by nerve stimulation.
abstract: We have visualised nitric oxide (NO) released from the electrically stimulated myenteric plexus and hypogastric nerve. NO was visualised by a reaction with luminol and hydrogen peroxide to generate photons which were counted using a microscope coupled to a photon counting camera. Electrical stimulation of the tissues induced an increase in photon counts which was frequency-dependent and prevented by inhibition of the NO synthase or by tetrodotoxin. The light emitted during nerve stimulation was not only observed at the nerve terminals but also at the axon and soma. Our results indicate that NO released from the whole nerve cell may affect target cells surrounding all parts of the nitrergic neuron. Thus, NO functions as a unique mechanism of synaptic and non-synaptic communication in the nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology at Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Wiklund
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cellek
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brundin
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Furst
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flock
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moncada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007001:Hypogastric Plexus / Q000737:chemistry*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000737:chemistry*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide