Work

Nitric oxide-related species inhibit evoked neurotransmission but enhance spontaneous miniature synaptic currents in central neuronal cultures

Year: 1996

Type: article

Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO.) does not react significantly with thiol groups under physiological conditions, whereas a variety of endogenous NO donor molecules facilitate rapid transfer to thiol of nitrosonium ion (NO+, with one less electron than NO.). Here, nitrosonium donors are shown to decrease the efficacy of evoked neurotransmission while increasing the frequency of spontaneous miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). In contrast, pure NO donors have little effect (displaying at most only a slight increase) on the amplitude of evoked EPSCs and frequency of spontaneous mEPSCs in our preparations. These findings may help explain heretofore paradoxical observations that the NO moiety can either increase, decrease, or have no net effect on synaptic activity in various preparations.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.26.15423

Authors: Zhuo-Hua Pan, Michael M. Segal, Stuart A. Lipton

Institutions: Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Eye Institute, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Awards: Cellular/Molecular Pathophysiology of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, RETINAL GANGLION CELLS: ION CHANNELS & TRANSMITTERS