title: Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase desensitizes retinal ganglion cells to light by diminishing their excitatory synaptic currents under light adaptation.
abstract: The effect of inhibiting nitric oxide synthase (NOS) on the visual responses of mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was studied under light adaptation by using patch-clamp recordings. The results demonstrated that NOS inhibitor, l-NAME, reduced the sensitivity of RGCs to light under light adaptation at different ambient light conditions. These observations were seen in all cells that recordings were made from. l-NAME diminished the excitatory synaptic currents (EPSCs), rather than increasing the inhibitory synaptic currents, of RGCs to reduce the sensitivity of RGCs to light. Cones may be the sites that l-NAME acted to diminish the EPSCs of RGCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Nemargut
authors.forename: Guo-Yong
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000221:Adaptation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester