title: Effect of tetrahydrobiopterin on nitric oxide synthase-containing cells in the rat hippocampus.
abstract: We have observed that tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a cofactor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), acts as a self-protection factor against nitric oxide (NO) toxicity in PC12 cells. To further investigate the self-protection action of BH4 in vivo, the effect of deletion of endogenous BH4 on NO-producing cells was examined in the rat hippocampus. Following the peripheral infusion of 50 mM 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine (DAHP), an inhibitor of GTP cyclohydrolase I, using a miniosmotic pump for 14 days, BH4 content in the hippocampus decreased as compared with the control group administered with vehicle solution, which had no effect on brain BH4 content. When the rats were administered with 50 mM DAHP and 10 mM BH4, the DAHP-induced decrease in BH4 content was prevented. The extracellular concentration of NO metabolites remained unchanged following DAHP administration, suggesting that DAHP-induced decrease in BH4 content had no effect on NO production. The number of NOS-positive cells decreased following DAHP administration in the hippocampal regions, while the number of NOS-negative cells remained unchanged. The DAHP-induced decrease in the NOS-positive cell number was prevented by the administration of 10 mM BH4 and DAHP. These results suggest that endogenous BH4 may affect NOS-positive cell number in the rat hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Hematology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan. jumpukai@maple.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koshimura
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Yuzuru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D045604:Extracellular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011622:Pterins; D051381:Rats; D013400:Sugar Acids / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C017182:5-dehydro-3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonic acid-7-phosphate; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011622:Pterins; D013400:Sugar Acids; C011552:tetrahydropterin; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase