title: [Effect of methamphetamine on the microglial cells and activity of nitric oxide synthases in rat striatum].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes in the microglial cells and the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in the striatum of rats with methamphetamine (METH) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rats were randomly divided into two groups for injections with METH or saline. Specific antibody against OX-42 was used to detect the changes in the morphology and the number of microglia, and the activities of NOS, iNOS and cNOS were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The microglial cells were activated and their number significantly increased in the striatum of rats with METH treatment as compared with those in the saline group. The activated microglial cells showed bushy and amoeboid morphologies in the METH group. METH also significantly enhanced the activities of NOS, iNOS and cNOS in the striatum (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microglial activation and increased NOS activity may participate in METH-induced neurotoxicity in rat striatum.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. linan-2002@tom.com
authors.forename: Yan-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui-jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong-fang
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Qiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D008694:Methamphetamine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III