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Neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the neural pathways of the urinary bladder
Author(s) -
ZHOU YUAN,
LING ENGANG
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-7580.1999.19440481.x
Subject(s) - nitric oxide synthase , urinary system , nitric oxide , nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate , urinary bladder , neurotransmitter , central nervous system , nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide , biology , downregulation and upregulation , chemistry , enzyme , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , biochemistry , neuroscience , medicine , nad+ kinase , oxidase test , gene
Nitric oxide (NO) is a unique biological messenger molecule. It serves, in part, as a neurotransmitter in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Neurons containing NO have been identified histochemically by the presence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH‐d) reactivity or immunohistochemically by the antibody for neuronal NO synthase (n‐NOS). Previous histochemical or pharmacological studies have raised the possibility that NO may play an important role in the neural pathways of the lower urinary tract. There is also considerable evidence to suggest that n‐NOS is plastic and could be upregulated following certain lesions in the lower urinary tract. The present review summarises the distribution of n‐NOS containing neurons innervating the urinary bladder and the changes of the enzyme expression in some experimentally induced pathological conditions.