title: Norepinephrine depresses the nitric oxide production in the ascidian hemocytes.
abstract: Norepinephrine (NE) is a neuro-hormone released by vertebrates and invertebrates during acute stress, and can influence their immune function. We found that NE depressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) by the hemocytes of ascidians. Our results with a fluorescent indicator for NO in assays using both NE and either α or β-antagonist revealed that NE down-regulated NO production by the ascidian hemocytes. Our data suggest that NE may be acting via specific hemocyte receptors to induce a decrease in immune function.
authors: Laboratório Integrado de Morfologia, Pólo Barreto, Núcleo em Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Sócio-Ambiental de Macaé, Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Cintia M
authors: CM
authors: de Barros
authors: Andressa de Abreu
authors: Ade A
authors: Mello
authors: Silvana
authors: S
authors: Allodi
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014561:Urochordata / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009638:Norepinephrine; D010646:Phentolamine