title: Response of NADPH-diaphorase-exhibiting neurons in the medullar reticular formation to high spinal cord injury.
abstract: 1. The effect of hemisection of the cervical spinal cord on NADPH-diaphorase staining in the reticular nuclei of the rabbit medulla was investigated using histochemical technique. 2. A quantitative assessment of somal and neuropil NADPH-diaphorase staining was made by an image analyzer in a selected area of each reticular nucleus of the rabbit medulla. 3. On the 7th postsurgery day, the highest up-regulation of somatic NADPH-diaphorase staining was observed in regions regulating cardiorespiratory processes; however, the highest increase of neuropil NADPH-diaphorase staining was found in the reticular nuclei modulating the tonus of postural muscles. 4. The degeneration of non-NADPH-diaphorase-stained neurons was detected throughout the reticular formation of the medulla, but the extent of neuronal death did not correlate with the up-regulation of the NADPH-diaphorase staining in the reticular nuclei of the medulla. 5. The findings provide evidence that NADPH-diaphorase-exhibiting neurons are refractory to the hemisection of the cervical spinal cord and that the neuronal up-regulation of NADPH-diaphorase at the medullar level is probably not a causative factor leading to the death of the reticulospinal neurons.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kosice, Slovak Republic. kuchar@saske.sk
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kucharova
authors.forename: Pavol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jalc
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Radonak
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marsala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase