title: Involvement of nitric oxide in 3-nitropropionic acid-induced depression of spinal reflexes in neonatal rat spinal cord in vitro.
abstract: The objective of the present investigation is to study the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA)-induced depression of spinal reflexes. Experiments were conducted on preparations of hemisected spinal cord isolated from 4 to 8 day old rats. Stimulation of a dorsal root evoked reflex potentials (monosynaptic, MSR; polysynaptic, PSR) in the corresponding segmental ventral root. Superfusion of 3-NPA (3.4 mM) depressed the spinal reflexes in a time-dependent manner and the reflexes were abolished after 35 min. The time required to produce 50% depression of the reflexes (T-50) was 17.8+/-5.3 min for MSR and 17.5+/-2.1 min for PSR. L-NAME (Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester; 100 microM), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, antagonized the 3-NPA (3.4 mM)-induced depression of reflexes and increased the T-50 values (34 and 30 min for MSR and PSR, respectively) significantly (P<0.05). In addition, hemoglobin (Hb, 100 microM), a NO scavenger, blocked the 3-NPA-induced depression of reflexes significantly (P<0.05). T-50 values in Hb pretreated cords were 57 and 45 min for MSR and PSR, respectively which were greater than the cords pretreated with L-NAME. The nitrite (NO(2)(-)) content of the 3-NPA exposed cords was 84 microM/g of tissue which was significantly greater than the control (13 microM/g; P<0.05). Pretreatment of cords with L-NAME or Hb antagonized the 3-NPA-induced increase in NO(2)(-). The results indicate that NO produced by 3-NPA is involved in the 3-NPA-induced depression of spinal reflexes.
authors: Department of Physiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, India.
authors: Rajesh
authors: R
authors: Gupta
authors: Shripad B
authors: SB
authors: Deshpande
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011422:Propionates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects*; D012023:Reflex, Monosynaptic / Q000187:drug effects; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester