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Early abundance of nerves containing NO synthase in the airways of newborn pigs and subsequent decrease with age
L D Buttery1, D R Springall, F A da Costa
1Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Neuroscience Letters
|December 15, 1995
Summary
Nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-containing nerves are present in piglet airways at birth and decrease significantly with age. These nerves, crucial for regulating airway function, are most abundant in newborns, suggesting a role in adapting to life outside the womb.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary physiology
- Neuroscience
- Developmental biology
Background:
- Nitric oxide (NO) plays a vital role in regulating airway function.
- The presence and developmental changes of NO-synthase-containing nerves in the developing lung are not fully understood.
- Neural-derived NO is implicated in pulmonary adaptation to extra-uterine life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To localize and quantify NO-synthase-containing nerves in newborn pig intrapulmonary airways.
- To investigate maturational changes in the density of these nerves in juvenile and adult lungs.
- To determine the contribution of NO-synthase-containing nerves to the total nerve population in the airways.
Main Methods:
- Immunocytochemistry was used to localize NO-synthase-containing nerves.
- Intercept counting was employed to quantify nerve density.
- The general neuronal marker PGP 9.5 was used to assess the proportion of NO-synthase-containing nerves.
Main Results:
- NO-synthase-containing nerves were found in piglet intrapulmonary airways at all studied ages (from <2 hours to 16 weeks).
- Nerve density was highest in neonates (94 +/- 3.3 intercepts/mm²) and significantly decreased with age, reaching 7 +/- 0.3 intercepts/mm² by 16 weeks (P < 0.001).
- The percentage of total nerves (PGP 9.5 positive) that contained NO-synthase also decreased significantly with age (38 +/- 2.7% in newborns vs. 18 +/- 2.3% at 16 weeks; P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- NO-synthase-containing nerves are abundant in the airways of newborn pigs and their density declines significantly during postnatal development.
- These findings suggest that neural-derived NO is important for the adaptation of the pulmonary system to extra-uterine life.
- The study highlights the developmental regulation of the nitrergic innervation of the airways.