title: Differential activation of Fos-like immunoreactivity in the arcuate nucleus and amygdala after intracerebroventricular injection of sodium nitroprusside and N omega nitro-L-arginine in conscious and urethane-anesthetized lactating rats.
abstract: The effect of intracerebroventricular injection of a nitric oxide (NO) donor (sodium nitroprusside, SNP) or NO synthase inhibitor (N(omega) nitro-L-arginine, L-NA) on Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the medial, cortical and central amygdaloid nuclei was examined in conscious and urethane-anesthetized lactating rats. In conscious dams, the number of FLI-cells in the medial and cortical amygdaloid nuclei were significantly larger after the injection of L-NA than after SNP injection. In anesthetized dams, the number of FLI-cells was decreased in the medial and cortical amygdaloid nuclei by L-NA injection, whereas the numbers were increased in the ARC and the medial amygdaloid nuclei after the injection of SNP. The nucleus-specific response to SNP or L-NA suggested possible involvement of NO in modulation of dynamics of neuronal activity within these nuclei.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Kochi Medical School, Okoh-cho, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan. okerec@kochi-ms.ac.jp
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Okere
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaba
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higuchi
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D000818:Animals; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014520:Urethane
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D009599:Nitroprusside; D019335:Nitroarginine; D014520:Urethane