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Nitric oxide- and cGMP-active compounds affect the discharge of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons: in vivo evidences in the rat

  • Basic Neurosciences, Genetics and Immunology - Original Article
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Abstract

The nitric oxide (NO)-active drugs influence on the bioelectric activity of neurons of the pars reticulata of the substantia nigra was studied in urethane-anesthetized rats. A first group of animals was treated with 7-nitro-indazole (7-NI), a preferential inhibitor of neuronal NO synthase. In a second group of rats, electrophysiological recordings were coupled with microiontophoretic administration of Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, a NO synthase inhibitor), 3-morpholino-sydnonimin-hydrocloride (SIN-1, a NO donor) and 8-Br-cGMP (a cell-permeable analogue of cGMP, the main second-messenger of NO neurotransmission). 7-NI and l-NAME caused a statistically significant decrease in the firing rate of most of the responsive cells, while application of SIN-1 and 8-Br-CGMP induced statistically significant excitatory effects. The results suggest a NO mediated excitatory modulation of the SNr neurons activity with a possible involvement of the cGMP pathway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Sezione di Fisiologia umana “G. Pagano”, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Corso Tukory 129, 90134, Palermo, Italy

    Fabio Carletti, Giuseppe Ferraro, Valerio Rizzo, Stefania D’Agostino, Gioacchino Lonobile & Pierangelo Sardo

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  1. Fabio Carletti
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  2. Giuseppe Ferraro
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  3. Valerio Rizzo
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  4. Stefania D’Agostino
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  5. Gioacchino Lonobile
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  6. Pierangelo Sardo
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Correspondence to Pierangelo Sardo.

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Carletti, F., Ferraro, G., Rizzo, V. et al. Nitric oxide- and cGMP-active compounds affect the discharge of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons: in vivo evidences in the rat. J Neural Transm 116, 539–549 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-009-0216-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-009-0216-y

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