Effect of nitric oxide on release of glutamate in the subretrofacial nucleus (SRF) during the exercise pressor reflex in cats

Spinal P2X receptor modulates muscle pressor reflex via glutamate

Static contraction of skeletal muscle evokes reflex increases in blood pressure and heart rate. Previous studies showed that P2X receptors located at the dorsal horn of the spinal cord play a role in modulating the muscle pressor reflex. P2X stimulation can alter release of the excitatory amino acid, glutamate (Glu). In this report, we tested the hypothesis that stimulation of P2X receptors enhances the concentrations of Glu ([Glu]) in the dorsal horn, and that blocking P2X receptors attenuates contraction-induced Glu increases and the resultant reflex pressor response. Contraction was elicited by electrical stimulation of the L(7) and S(1) ventral roots of 14 cats. Glu samples were collected from microdialysis probes inserted in the L(7) level of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, and dialysate [Glu] was determined using the HPLC method. First, microdialyzing alpha,beta-methylene ATP (0.4 mM) into the dorsal horn significantly increased [Glu]. In addition, contraction elevated [Glu] from baseline of 536 +/- 53 to 1,179 +/- 192 nM (P < 0.05 vs. baseline), and mean arterial pressure by 39 +/- 8 mmHg in the control experiment. Microdialyzing the P2X receptor antagonist pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid (10 mM) into the dorsal horn attenuated the contraction induced-Glu increase (610 +/- 128 to 759 +/- 147 nM; P > 0.05) and pressor response (16 +/- 3 mmHg, P < 0.05 vs. control). Our findings demonstrate that P2X modulates the cardiovascular responses to static muscle contraction by affecting the release of Glu in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

Role of nitric oxide in ethanol-induced ascorbic acid release in striatum of freely moving mice

In the present study, in vivo brain microdialysis coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrochemical detection were used to evaluate the effects of either L-arginine (L-Arg), the substrate of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME), a non-selective NOS inhibitor, or sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a donor of NO, on the ethanol-induced release of ascorbic acid (AA) in the striatum of freely moving mice. Drugs were administered intrastriatally via the microdialysis probe and ethanol (2-4 g/kg) was administered intraperitoneally. The results showed that L-arginine (1-10 mg/ml) had no effect on either the basal AA contents in striatal extracellular fluid or the ethanol-induced release of AA. L-NAME (10(-4) to 10(-3) mg/ml) and SNP (10(-4) to 10(-3) mg/ml) both reduced the basal AA concentrations in striatal extracellular fluid. L-NAME significantly inhibited ethanol-induced release of AA, while SNP only had a transient inhibitory effect on the ethanol-induced release of AA. SNP significantly increased dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA) contents and DHAA/AA ratio but had no effect on the total AA contents (AA and DHAA contents) in striatal extracellular fluid, while L-NAME had no effect on DHAA contents but decreased the total AA contents in striatal extracellular fluid. Only high concentration L-NAME induced a transient increase in DHAA/AA ratio. Our results suggest that nitric oxide (NO) might not directly be involved in the mechanism of ethanol-induced release of AA in mouse striatum.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) coexists with activated neurons by skeletal muscle contraction in the brainstem of cats

Contraction of skeletal muscle evokes increases in arterial blood pressure and heart rate. Some regions of the brainstem have been implicated for expression of the cardiovascular responses to muscle contraction. Previous studies have reported that static muscle contraction induced c-Fos protein in the nucleus of tractus solitarii (NTS), lateral reticular nucleus (LRN), lateral tegmental field (FTL), subretrofacial nucleus (SRF), A1 region and periaqueductal gray (PAG) of the brainstem. Furthermore, neuronal NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d), which is considered as a marker of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), has been localized in those same regions. In this study, static muscle contraction was induced by electrical stimulation of the L7 and S1 ventral roots in anaesthetized cats. Distribution of c-Fos protein within neurons containing nNOS was evaluated by double labeling methods in order to determine if nNOS containing neurons in the brainstem were activated during muscle contraction. The results indicate that c-Fos protein colocalized with NADPH-d positive staining within the neurons of the SRF and PAG, but not within the NTS neurons. Distinct number of neurons with c-Fos protein was in close proximity to NADPH-d positive staining in the NTS, SRF, and PAG. Coexisting of c-Fos protein and NADPH-d positive staining was not observed in the LRN, FTL and A1 region. These findings demonstrate that nNOS containing neurons were activated by muscle contraction in the selective regions of the brainstem, and nNOS positive staining had close anatomic contacts with the neurons activated by contraction. This result provides neuroanatomic evidence suggesting that nitric oxide modulates the cardiovascular responses to muscle contraction within the NTS, SRF and PAG of the brainstem.