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Nicotine activation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and guanylyl cyclase in the medulla increases blood flow of the common carotid artery in cats

Authors :
Yuk-Man Leung
Yi-Wen Hung
Jon-Son Kuo
Chi-Li Gong
Yi-Ping Huang
Tony Jer-Fu Lee
Nai-Nu Lin
Source :
Neuroscience Letters. 486:122-126
Publication Year :
2010
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2010.

Abstract

Individual activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) or nitric oxide (NO) synthase in the dorsal facial area (DFA) increases blood flow of common carotid artery (CCA) supplying intra- and extra-cranial tissues. We investigated whether the activation of nAChR initiated the activation of NO synthase and guanylyl cyclase to increase CCA blood flow in anesthetized cats. Microinjections of nicotine (a non-selective nAChR agonist), or choline (a selective α7-nAChR agonist) in the DFA produced increases in CCA blood flow ipsilaterally. These increases were significantly reduced by pretreatment with NG-nitro-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, a non-specific NO synthase inhibitor), 7-nitroindazole (7-NI, a relatively selective neuronal NO synthase inhibitor) or methylene blue (MB, a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor) but not by that with N5-(1-iminoethyl)-l-ornithine (l-NIO, a potent endothelial NO synthase inhibitor). Control microinjection with d-NAME (an isomer of l-NAME), artificial cerebrospinal fluid or DMSO (a solvent for 7-NI) did not affect resting CCA blood flow, nor did they affect nicotine- or choline-induced response. In conclusion, activation of nAChR, at least α7-nAChR, led to the activation of neuronal NO synthase and guanylyl cyclase in the DFA, which induced an increase in CCA blood flow.

Details

ISSN :
03043940
Volume :
486
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Neuroscience Letters
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....4afb7ad51e7bec8a8eb3fbed9641d1c0
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2010.08.072