Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase induces increased production of growth-associated protein 43 in the developing retina of the postnatal rat.
We investigated the effects of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a NOS inhibitor, on retinal development in the postnatal rat by immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting using antisera against neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) or growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43). An nNOS-immunoreactive band of 155 kDa and a GAP-43-immunoreactive band of 48 kDa were present in the extracts of both control and L-NAME-treated rat retinas. The intensity of the nNOS-immunoreactive band was much weaker in the treated rats, whereas the intensity of the GAP-43-immunoreactive band of 48 kDa was much stronger in the treated rats. Much stronger GAP-43 immunoreactivity was visible in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of the treated retinas at P10, P14 and P21. Our findings suggest that NO may play an important role in the maturation of the IPL in the developing rat retina.
Oh
Su-Ja
SJ
Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Socho-gu, Seoul 137-701, South Korea.
Kim
Keun-Young
KY
Lee
Eun-Jin
EJ
Park
Sung-Jin
SJ
Kwon
Seong-Oh
SO
Jung
Chang-Sub
CS
Lee
Mun-Yong
MY
Chun
Myung-Hoon
MH
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester