Nitric oxide synthase in the spinal cord of the frog, Xenopus laevis.
The expression of nitric oxide synthase was investigated in the spinal cord of the South African clawed frog by NADPH diaphorase histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. The dorsal field contained many strongly positive neurons and a dense plexus of processes. Only few nitric oxide synthase-positive cells occurred in the lateral and central field. Motoneurons were negative. A dense accumulation of stained neurons was located dorsal and dorsomedial to the motoneurons. The white matter harbored many positive fibers. These were most abundant in the dorsal funiculus, and obviously consist of nonprimary projections to the brainstem. These results suggest that nitric oxide represents a widely used messenger molecule in the frog spinal cord, in particular with respect to the processing of sensory information.
Brüning
G
G
Department of Anatomy, Free University, Königin-Luise-Strasse 15, 14195 Berlin, Germany. bruning@medizin.fu-berlin.de
Mayer
B
B
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000201:enzymology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000032:analysis*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase