introduction: nitric oxide is an important endogenous compound that acts as bronchodilator in trachea. electromagnetic fields (emf) affect nitric oxide level in different tissues. the interaction of nitrergic and cholinergic systems in airways has been reported. therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate the interaction of cholinergic and nitrergic systems in the trachea of rats tha...

introduction: the ginger rhizome has been widely used in traditional medicine for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. in the present study the effect of ginger alcoholic extract on mechanical activity of isolated jejunum of male rats and also its interaction with cholinergic, adrenergic and nitrergic systems were investigated. methods: seven adult male wistar rats were anesthetized by ethyl...

Diabetic gastroparesis is a disorder that predominantly affects women. However, the biological basis of this sex bias remains completely unknown. In this study we tested the hypothesis that a component of this effect may be mediated by the nitrergic inhibitory system of the enteric nervous system. Age-matched male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were studied 8 or 12 wk after streptozotocin (55 m...

There is now compelling evidence that the L-arginine/nitric oxide (NO) pathway generates the non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) neurotransmitter which mediates smooth muscle relaxation in a variety of nitrergically-innervated tissues. However, one strange aspect of this nitrergic neurotransmission process is that certain drugs (i.e. superoxide generators and NO-scavengers) powerfully inhibit...

BACKGROUND Enteric nervous system precursors derived from the neural crest migrate along defined pathways to colonize the bowel. The individual cells in different environments experience different growth, differentiation, and survival conditions. Hence, the spatial distribution of the neurons is determinant with regard to functional maturation. The question arises as to whether the distribution...

Although autonomic neuropathy is recognized as an independent risk factor for stroke in diabetes, the mechanism by which autonomic nerves are involved in this pathology is unknown. Parasympathetic (cholinergic) nerves of the autonomic nervous system are known to innervate and to cause relaxation of cerebral arteries by releasing nitric oxide (NO); hence, they are called nitrergic nerves. Howeve...

Learning disorders are often associated with persistent hyperactivity and aggression and are part of a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. A potential clue to understanding these linked phenomena is that physical exercise and passive forms of stimulation are calming, enhance cognitive functions and learning, and are recommended as complementary treatments for these problems. The theory is...

Nitric oxide (NO) production by specific neurons in the prepositus hypoglossi (PH) nucleus is necessary for the correct performance of eye movements in alert cats. In an attempt to characterize the morphological substrate of this NO function, the distribution of nitrergic neurons and NO-responding neurons has been investigated in different brainstem structures related to eye movements. Nitrergi...

The rat primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is remarkable for its conspicuous vertical compartmentalization in barrels and septal columns, which are additionally stratified in horizontal layers. Whereas excitatory neurons from each of these compartments perform different types of processing, the role of interneurons is much less clear. Among the numerous types of GABAergic interneurons, those pro...

Cladistians are a group of basal actinopterygian fishes that constitute a good model for studying primitive brain features, most likely present in the ancestral bony fishes. The analysis of the nitrergic neurons (with the enzyme nitric oxide synthase; NOS) has helped in understanding important aspects of brain organization in all vertebrates studied. We investigated the nitrergic system of two ...