title: Nitrergic nerves derived from the pterygopalatine ganglion innervate arteries irrigating the cerebrum but not the cerebellum and brain stem in monkeys.
abstract: The functional roles of the nitrergic nerves innervating the monkey cerebral artery were evaluated in a tension-response study examining isolated arteries in vitro and cerebral angiography in vivo. Nicotine produced relaxation of arteries by stimulation of nerve terminals innervating isolated monkey arteries irrigating the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem. Relaxation of arteries induced by nicotine was abolished by treatment with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, and was restored by addition of L-arginine. Cerebral angiography showed that electrical stimulation of the unilateral greater petrosal nerve, which connects to the pterygopalatine ganglion via the parasympathetic ganglion synapse, produced vasodilatation of the anterior, middle and posterior cerebral arteries in the stimulated side. However, stimulation failed to produce vasodilatation of the superior and anterior-inferior cerebellar arteries and the basilar artery in anesthetized monkeys. Therefore, nitrergic nerves derived from the pterygopalatine ganglion appear to regulate cerebral vasomotor function. In contrast, circulation in the cerebellum and brain stem might be regulated by nitrergic nerves originating not from the pterygopalatine ganglion, but rather from an unknown ganglion (or ganglia).
authors: Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Hyogo University of Health Sciences, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan. ayajiki@huhs.ac.jp
authors: Kazuhide
authors: K
authors: Ayajiki
authors: Shuhei
authors: S
authors: Kobuchi
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Tawa
authors: Tomio
authors: T
authors: Okamura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001158:Arteries / Q000294:innervation; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000098:blood supply*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008251:Macaca; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology; D026602:Nitrergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine; D001120:Arginine