Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Novel Whole-tissue Quantitative Assay of Nitric Oxide Levels in Drosophila Neuroinflammatory Response
Published on: December 4, 2013
Correlation of inbred mouse sensitivity to nitrous oxide antinociception with brain nitric oxide synthase activity
Elisabeth Day Henry1, Yusuke Ohgami, Shuang Li
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, P.O. Box 646534, Pullman, WA 99164-6534, USA.
Abstract:
Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) antagonizes nitrous oxide (N2O)-induced antinociception in mice. This study was conducted to compare brain NOS activity in high responding C57BL/6 mice, low responding DBA/2 mice and S5 mice selectively bred for low responsiveness to N2O. Exposure to 70% N2O suppressed acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions in C57BL/6 mice but not DBA/2 or S5 mice. N2O exposure also elevated NOS activity in brains of C57BL/6 mice but not DBA/2 or S5 mice. The absence of these effects in DBA/2 or S5 mice is further support for the hypothesis that nitric oxide (NO) may play a critical role in N2O-induced antinociception in mice.
