title: Nitric oxide-induced cGMP synthesis in the cholinergic system during the development and aging of the rat brain.
abstract: cGMP synthesis in cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain, the caudate putamen, and the tegmento-pedunculopontine nucleus of the rat was studied during development after birth at P1, P4, P10, and P21, in the adult, and during aging. NO-mediated cGMP synthesis in these neurons was studied using the approach of in vitro incubation of brain slices in combination with cGMP-immunocytochemistry. The percentage of NO-responsive, cGMP-synthesizing cholinergic cells in the septum and diagonal band of Broca decreased from 75% to 6% in adult animals and to 2% in aged ones. In the caudate putamen, this decrease was from 81% to 21% in adult and 11% in aged animals. Cholinergic cells of the tegmento-pedunculopontine nucleus were unresponsive to NO and never showed cGMP-immunoreactivity. In addition, it was observed that the amount of NO-responsive, cGMP-synthesizing cholinergic fibers in the hippocampus declined in parallel with the maturation of the septal-hippocampal cholinergic pathway, whereas in the caudate putamen, this colocalization became complete 2 weeks after birth. It is concluded that the property of NO-mediated cGMP synthesis in the cholinergic nuclei of the forebrain is developmentally regulated after birth and that NO-cGMP signal transduction has a role in establishing cholinergic neuronal connections in the hippocampus and caudate putamen.
authors: European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), Maastricht University, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, UNS50, POB 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Domek-Łopacińska
authors: M
authors: M
authors: van de Waarenburg
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Markerink-van Ittersum
authors: H W M
authors: HW
authors: Steinbusch
authors: J
authors: J
authors: de Vente
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1
chemical_list: D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D006152:Cyclic GMP