AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 266, Issue 1 154-G160, Copyright © 1994 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Nitric oxide-mediated excitatory effect on neurons of dorsal motor nucleus of vagus

R. A. Travagli and R. A. Gillis
Department of Pharmacology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20007.

The purpose of our study was to explore whether nitric oxide was involved as an intercellular messenger in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). To achieve this purpose we examined DMV motoneurons of the rat in vitro with the use of the extracellular cell-attached recording technique. The motoneurons, in general, exhibit a spontaneous discharge and when exposed to NO-producing drugs (i.e., 3-300 microM L-arginine and 10-100 microM S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine) exhibit a concentration-related increase in their spontaneous firing rate. Because NO activates soluble guanylate cyclase and increases guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP), we tested dibutyryl-cGMP (30-300 microM) and found that it also excites DMV neurons. Perfusion of the DMV neurons with N omega-nitro-L-arginine (300 microM), an inhibitor of NO synthase (NOS), and with NO scavenger, reduced hemoglobin (1 microM), counteracted the excitatory effect of L-arginine and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). Perfusion of the preparation with LY-83583 (10 microM), an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, also counteracted the effects of L-arginine and NMDA. These data indicate that NOS is present in DMV neurons, and that the excitatory effect of NMDA on these neurons is due in part to formation of NO and the resulting accumulation of cGMP in DMV neurons.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. T. Demchenko, D. N. Atochin, D. R. Gutsaeva, R. R. Godfrey, P. L. Huang, C. A. Piantadosi, and B. W. Allen Contributions of nitric oxide synthase isoforms to pulmonary oxygen toxicity, local vs. mediated effects Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, May 1, 2008; 294(5): L984 - L990. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Ferreira Jr., N. Sahibzada, M. Shi, M. Niedringhaus, M. R. Wester, A. R. Jones, J. G. Verbalis, and R. A. Gillis Hindbrain chemical mediators of reflex-induced inhibition of gastric tone produced by esophageal distension and intravenous nicotine Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, November 1, 2005; 289(5): R1482 - R1495. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Abudara, A. F. Alvarez, M. H. Chase, and F. R. Morales Nitric Oxide as an Anterograde Neurotransmitter in the Trigeminal Motor Pool J Neurophysiol, July 1, 2002; 88(1): 497 - 506. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. N. Browning, A. E. Kalyuzhny, and R. A. Travagli Opioid Peptides Inhibit Excitatory But Not Inhibitory Synaptic Transmission in the Rat Dorsal Motor Nucleus of the Vagus J. Neurosci., April 15, 2002; 22(8): 2998 - 3004. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Chowdhary, S. L. Nuttall, J. H. Coote, and J. N. Townend L-Arginine Augments Cardiac Vagal Control in Healthy Human Subjects Hypertension, January 1, 2002; 39(1): 51 - 56. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. C. Tjen-A-Looi, N. T. Phan, and J. C. Longhurst Nitric oxide modulates sympathoexcitatory cardiac-cardiovascular reflexes elicited by bradykinin Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, November 1, 2001; 281(5): H2010 - H2017. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Bouzioukh, F. Tell, A. Jean, and G. Rougon NMDA Receptor and Nitric Oxide Synthase Activation Regulate Polysialylated Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule Expression in Adult Brainstem Synapses J. Neurosci., July 1, 2001; 21(13): 4721 - 4730. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Chowdhary, J. C. Vaile, J. Fletcher, H. F. Ross, J. H. Coote, and J. N. Townend Nitric Oxide and Cardiac Autonomic Control in Humans Hypertension, August 1, 2000; 36(2): 264 - 269. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. E. Sears, J. K. Choate, and D. J. Paterson NO-cGMP pathway accentuates the decrease in heart rate caused by cardiac vagal nerve stimulation J Appl Physiol, February 1, 1999; 86(2): 510 - 516. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-L. Liu, H. Murakami, and I. H. Zucker Angiotensin II–Nitric Oxide Interaction on Sympathetic Outflow in Conscious Rabbits Circ. Res., March 9, 1998; 82(4): 496 - 502. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Murakami, J.-L. Liu, H. Yoneyama, Y. Nishida, K. Okada, H. Kosaka, H. Morita, and I. H. Zucker Blockade of neuronal nitric oxide synthase alters the baroreflex control of heart rate in the rabbit Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, January 1, 1998; 274(1): R181 - R186. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. V. Esplugues, M. D. Barrachina, B. Beltran, S. Calatayud, B. J. R. Whittle, and S. Moncada Inhibition of gastric acid secretion by stress: A protective reflex mediated by cerebral nitric oxide PNAS, December 10, 1996; 93(25): 14839 - 14844. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]