Increased neurons containing neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the brain of a hypoxic-ischemic neonatal rat model

• Published in: Brain & development (Tokyo. 1979) Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 369 - 375
• Main Authors: Higuchi, Yoshihisa, Hattori, Haruo, Hattori, Ryuichi, Furusho, Kenshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.1996; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - enzymology; Brain - pathology; Brain Ischemia - enzymology; Brain Ischemia - pathology; Coloring Agents; Hypoxia, Brain - enzymology; Hypoxia, Brain - pathology; Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage; Immunohistochemistry; Medical sciences; Neonatal rat; Neurology; Neurons - enzymology; Nitric oxide synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Nitric oxide synthase; Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage; Neonatal rat; Nervous system diseases; Pathophysiology; Rat; Enzyme; Rodentia; Cardiovascular disease; Nitric-oxide synthase; Cerebral disorder; Vascular disease; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Ischemia; Newborn animal; Central nervous system disease; Hypoxia; Oxidoreductases; Cerebrovascular disease; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0387-7604; 1872-7131
• DOI: 10.1016/0387-7604(96)00019-8

We evaluated the temporal profile of the number of neurons containing neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS neurons) in the brain of a neonatal hypoxic-ischemic rat model. Hypoxic-ischemic insults were produced in the brains of 7-day-old rat pups using a combination of unilateral carotid artery ligation and hypoxic (8% oxygen) exposure. Sections of brain from rats killed at 0–24 h after the onset of hypoxia were stained immunohistochemically using a polyclonal anti-nNOS antibody. Histological changes of neuronal injury were evaluated in the adjacent Nissl stained sections. The number of nNOS neurons in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the carotid ligation was significantly increased ( P < 0.05) at 3 h, when the neuronal injury consisted of clusters of degenerating hyperchromic neurons. Neuronal degeneration and an increased number of nNOS neurons were seen only in the ipsilateral hemisphere and the increase was most prominent in the dorsolateral area of the striatum. The increase in the number of nNOS neurons continued at 6 h, when the area of neuronal injury continued to expand. At 24 h, the neuronal injury was diffuse, and the number of nNOS neurons on the ipsilateral side significantly decreased. The increase of the number of nNOS neurons in the early phase of neonatal neuronal injury suggests its possible involvement in the hypoxicischemic injury. The delineation of its role in neuronal injury may lead to an improvement in managing neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.