NO is not substantially involved in afferent signalling in rat muscle spindles

As intrafusal nuclear bag and chain fibers of muscle spindles take part in both sensory and motor functions, these stretch receptors may represent a useful model to answer the question whether nitric oxide (NO) signalling is involved in sensory and motor functions or motor events only, as has already been shown for ordinary extrafusal fibers. To answer these questions, we have applied immunohistochemical and enzyme histochemical methods to serial transverse sections of the rat gastrosoleus muscle for determining the presence or absence of NOS I, NOS-associated diaphorase (NOSaD), AChE and proteins related to the dystrophin complex. NOS I, NOSaD, and AChE were practically absent from the equatorial (central) region of intrafusal fibers, i.e. the site of termination of the primary and secondary afferents. These regions showed weak staining for dystrophin, beta-dystroglycan as well as alpha- and gamma-sarcoglycan. By contrast, all of these molecules were found enriched in the polar (peripheral) regions of the intrafusal fiber sarcolemma. NOS I, NOSaD, dystrophin, beta-dystroglycan and the two sarcoglycans showed a general presence in the sarcolemma, whereas AChE was limited to the endplate region and other circumscribed areas. From these observations we would like to conclude that NO does not appear to be significantly or even not involved in signal transfer to the sensory nerve endings in the intrafusal fibers.