title: Differential distribution of NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry in human cerebral cortex.
abstract: Beta-nicotinamidedinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) colocalizes with NOS in the central nervous system. Two types of NADPH-d-positive neurons are present in the primate cerebral cortex: type 1, intensely and Golgi-like labeled neurons, a subset of GABAergic interneurons; type 2, lightly labeled neurons (divided into two subclasses, a first one having a lightly stained cell body bearing only one short process, and a second one showing intense NADPH-d staining with short processes extending radially). We have analyzed the distribution of NADPH-d activity in human frontal, temporal, and occipital cortical areas, finding remarkable laminar and interareal differences in cell size and distribution of the different cell types. There was a clear bias for type 1 neurons in infragranular layers in all areas considered; both in supra- and infragranular layers, their density was highest in frontal, and lowest in temporal cortex. The density of type 2 neurons was lower supragranularly in temporal cortex and infragranularly in occipital cortex. The overall density of type 2 cells was remarkably higher in occipital cortex than in the temporal and frontal ones. Type 1 neurons were significantly larger than type 2, and were smaller in the supragranular than in the infragranular subzone in occipital and temporal cortex. Type 1 cells were significantly larger in frontal cortex than in occipital and temporal cortex, and type 2 cells were significantly smaller in occipital than in temporal and frontal cortex. These area-related differences might reflect differences between heterotypic and homotypic cortex in the regulation of cortical blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, S. Giovanni Battista Hospital, via Cherasco 15, Torino, Italy. garbossa@libero.it
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garbossa
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fontanella
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomasi
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ducati
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vercelli
mesh_terms: D001369:Axons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002452:Cell Count; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase