Effect of nitric oxide on the expression of apelin receptor mRNA in rat caudate nucleus.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the expression of apelin receptor mRNA, as well as their correlation, in the caudate nucleus of rat.


METHODS
L-Arginine (L-Arg), N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and normal saline (NS) was separately microinjected into rat caudate nucleus. Expressions of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) mRNA and apelin receptor mRNA were detected by RT-PCR at 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h after microinjection, and their correlation was determined.


RESULTS
The expressions of nNOS mRNA and apelin receptor mRNA were both significantly increased after microinjection of L-Arg, but significantly decreased after microinjection of L-NAME compared with the NS control group. The nNOS mRNA had a positive correlation with the expression of apelin receptor mRNA after microinjection of L-Arg and L-NAME.


CONCLUSIONS
The activity of NOS in the central nervous system, especially in the caudate nucleus, is one of the key factors for NO to exert many kinds of biological actions, such as modulation of central pain, as a neurotransmitter. The neurobiological action of NO in rat caudate nucleus may be associated with apelin receptors.
Bai
Bo
B
Department of Neurobiology, Taishan Medical College, Taian 271016, China. bbai@tsmc.edu.cn
Liu
Yu-Hong
YH
Liu
Hai-Qing
HQ
D000818:Animals; D000075244:Apelin Receptors; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
D000075244:Apelin Receptors; C491284:Aplnr protein, rat; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester