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Visualisation of nitric oxide released by nerve stimulation
N P Wiklund1, S Cellek, A M Leone
1Department of Urology at Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Journal of Neuroscience Research
|January 15, 1997
Summary
Nitric oxide (NO) release from nerves was visualized using light emission. This NO release, dependent on nerve activity, occurs throughout the entire neuron, suggesting broad communication roles.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule in the nervous system.
- The precise localization and extent of NO release from neurons are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To visualize and quantify nitric oxide (NO) release from stimulated myenteric plexus and hypogastric nerves.
- To investigate the spatial distribution and regulation of NO release from nitrergic neurons.
Main Methods:
- Utilized luminol-hydrogen peroxide chemiluminescence to detect NO.
- Employed a photon-counting camera coupled to a microscope for sensitive light detection.
- Applied electrical stimulation and pharmacological agents (NO synthase inhibitors, tetrodotoxin).
Main Results:
- Electrical stimulation of nerves induced a frequency-dependent increase in photon counts, indicating NO release.
- NO release was observed not only at nerve terminals but also along axons and cell bodies.
- Inhibition of NO synthase or blockade of nerve impulse transmission (tetrodotoxin) prevented NO release.
Conclusions:
- Nitric oxide (NO) is released from various parts of the nitrergic neuron, including axons and soma, not just terminals.
- NO release from the entire neuron suggests a role in both synaptic and non-synaptic communication.
- NO acts as a unique signaling molecule affecting surrounding target cells via widespread release.