Nitrergic neurons in the spinal cord of the bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).
Nitric oxide (NO) is a freely diffusible gaseous neurotransmitter generated by a selected population of neurons and acts as a paracrine molecule in the nervous system. NO is synthesized from l-arginine by means of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), an enzyme requiring nicotine adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) as cofactor. In this study, we used histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques to investigate the distribution of NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) and nNOS in the spinal cord of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Cells with a fusiform-shaped somata were numerous in the laminae I and II. The intermediolateral horn showed darkly-stained cells with a multipolar morphology. Neurons with a multipolar or fusiform morphology were observed in the ventral horn. Multipolar and fusiform neurons were the most common cell types in lamina X. Nitrergic fibers were numerous especially in the dorsal and intermediolateral horns. The presence of nitrergic cells and fibers in different laminae of the spinal cord suggests that NO may be involved in spinal sensory and visceral circuitries, and potentially contribute to the regulation of the complex retia mirabilia.
Department of Veterinary Medical Science, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra, 50, 40064, Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy.
Cristiano
C
Bombardi
Annamaria
A
Grandis
Anna
A
Gardini
Bruno
B
Cozzi
D000818:Animals; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / Q000378:metabolism*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D026602:Nitrergic Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase
bottlenose dolphin; nitric oxide; spinal cord