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Pyramidal neurones in pathological human motor cortex express nitric oxide synthase
M N Wallace1, M H Tayebjee, F S Rana
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marischal College, University of Aberdeen, UK.
Neuroscience Letters
|July 19, 1996
Summary
In damaged brains, pyramidal neurons express NADPH diaphorase, indicating nitric oxide synthesis. This suggests a potential neuroprotective role for nitric oxide in certain neurological conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Enzymology
Background:
- Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) diaphorase is a marker for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in neurons.
- Healthy neocortical pyramidal neurons typically lack detectable NOS.
- Pathological conditions may alter NOS expression in specific neuronal populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and distribution of NADPH diaphorase in pyramidal neurons of the precentral gyrus under pathological conditions.
- To determine if nitric oxide synthesis occurs in pyramidal neurons during brain damage.
Main Methods:
- Histochemical staining for NADPH diaphorase.
- Microscopic examination of neuronal populations in the precentral gyrus.
- Analysis across different age groups (newborn, children, adults).
Main Results:
- Pyramidal neurons in layers V and VI of the precentral gyrus showed NADPH diaphorase activity in brains with pathological damage.
- Betz cells and smaller pyramidal neurons exhibited low to moderate levels of NADPH diaphorase.
- This activity was observed in individuals across a wide age range.
Conclusions:
- Under pathological conditions, some pyramidal neurons can synthesize nitric oxide.
- The presence of NADPH diaphorase in these neurons suggests a potential neuroprotective function of nitric oxide in the context of brain injury.