title: Arginine and NADPH diaphorase in the rat ventroposterior thalamic nucleus.
abstract: Simultaneous immunocytochemical staining for arginine (Arg) and histochemical staining for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPHd, a marker for nitric oxide synthase) reveals that neuropil in the ventroposterior nucleus of the thalamus is enriched with both Arg-positive glial profiles and NADPHd-positive fibers. NADPHd-positive fibers are often apposed to Arg-positive astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. NADPHd-positive endothelial cells are often adjacent to Arg-positive astrocytes. The results suggest that Arg may be stored in supporting cells, whence it could be supplied to nearby nerve fibers or endothelial cells as substrate for nitric oxide synthase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599, USA. kharazia@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Kharazia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petrusz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Usunoff
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rustioni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000032:analysis*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase