title: Nitric oxide synthase activity and expression in experimental diabetic neuropathy.
abstract: The changes of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and expression in experimental diabetic neuropathy have not been examined. Increases in ganglia NOS might be similar to those that follow axotomy, whereas declines in endothelial NOS (eNOS) and immunological NOS (iNOS) might explain dysfunction of microvessels or macrophages. In this work, we studied NOS activity in lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of rats with both short- and long-term experimental streptozotocin-induced diabetes and correlated it with expression of each of the 3 NOS isoforms. NOS enzymatic activity in DRG increased after 12 months of diabetes. This increase, however, was not accompanied by an increase in neuronal NOS immunohistochemistry or mRNA. Immunohistochemical and RT-PCR studies did not identify changes of eNOS expression in 12-month sciatic nerves or DRG from diabetics. Two-month diabetic DRG had increased eNOS mRNA and there was novel eNOS labeling of capsular DRG and perineurial cells. iNOS mRNA levels were lower in diabetics at both time points in peripheral nerves but were unchanged in DRG. Diabetic ganglia showed an increase in NOS activity not explained by novel NOS isoform synthesis. The increases may compensate for NO "quenching" by endproducts of glycosylation. Declines in iNOS may indicate impaired macrophage function.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Group and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Zochodne
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Verge
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Höke
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jolley
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lauritzen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000201:enzymology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; C496316:Nos3 protein, rat