BACKGROUND Neural activity can be affected by nitric oxide (NO) produced by spiking neurons. Can neural activity also be affected by NO produced in neurons in the absence of spiking? METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Applying an NO scavenger to quiescent Aplysia buccal ganglia initiated fictive feeding, indicating that NO production at rest inhibits feeding. The inhibition is in part via effects...

Exposure to excessive vanadium occurs in some occupations and with consumption of some dietary regimens for weight reduction and body building. Because vanadium is vasoactive, individuals exposed to excessive vanadium may develop adverse vascular effects. We have previously shown that vanadyl sulfate causes acute pulmonary vasoconstriction, which could be attributed in part to inhibition of nit...

Mechanical stimulation caused by increasing flow induces nucleotide release from many cells. Luminal flow and extracellular ATP stimulate production of nitric oxide (NO) in thick ascending limbs. However, the factors that mediate flow-induced NO production are unknown. We hypothesized that luminal flow stimulates thick ascending limb NO production via ATP. We measured NO in isolated, perfused r...

NO produced by NO synthase (NOS) 3 acts as an autacoid to regulate NaCl absorption in the thick ascending limb. ATP induces NO production by NOS 3 in endothelial cells. We hypothesized that extracellular ATP activates NOS in thick ascending limbs through P2 receptors. To test this, we measured intracellular NO production using the NO-selective fluorescent dye DAF-2 in suspensions of rat medulla...

Maczulak AE. Pollution: Treating Environmental Toxins. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing; 2010. p. x+232. ISBN: 978-1-4381-2633-3