Changes of environment and darkness enhance the NADPH-diaphorase staining in the rat paraventricular nucleus.
Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the maintenance of autonomic homeostasis of the body. NO-producing neurons are activated in the brain during exposure to different levels of environmentally produced stimulations. These facts prompted the authors to investigate the levels of activation of NO-producing neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) following change of environment and darkness. Cryostat sections were cut and processed for the histochemical detection of the NADPH-diaphorase (ND)-activity. Following change of the environment and darkness for 12 and 24 h, statistical analysis displayed a significant increase in the number of ND-neurons, especially in the posterior magnocellular and the lateral parvicellular subdivisions of the PVN. These data indicate that the ND-neurons of the PVN are influenced by changes of the environment and darkness.
Sánchez
F
F
Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Campus Unamuno, Salamanca. fsh@gugu.usal.es
López
M J
MJ
del Campo
J
J
Gutiérrez
J L
JL
Moreno
M N
MN
Vázquez
R
R
D000818:Animals; D003624:Darkness; D004777:Environment; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase