Expression of neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase in spinal neurons of neonatal rats after sciatic nerve transection.
Motoneuron death induced by sciatic nerve transection in neonatal rats has been related to induction of the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), a diaphorase of which one of the cofactors is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). We transected the sciatic nerve of neonatal rats (P2) and examined nNOS expression by immunostaining in neurons of the sciatic pool and of other spinal levels on the 5th day after surgery. No correspondence was observed between the surviving motoneurons and nNOS positive cells. The appearance and distribution of nNOS positive neurons at all spinal levels and laminae were similar to those of adult animals. These results are at variance with previous studies which showed correlation between motoneuron loss after axotomy and number of NADPH-diaphorase positive motoneurons after sciatic transection.
Rogério
F
F
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of Campinas, Unicamp, 13083-970, SP, Campinas, Brazil.
Teixeira
S A
SA
de Souza Queiroz
L
L
De Nucci
G
G
Langone
F
F
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019771:Axotomy; D002452:Cell Count; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012183:Retrograde Degeneration / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase