Synthesis of nitric oxide in the bovine retina.

In the absence of light, high concentrations of cGMP open ion channels in the plasma membranes of rod outer segments. The source of stimulation of retinal guanylate cyclase is not known. Nitric oxide is a potent stimulator of guanylate cyclase in other cell systems. The present data demonstrate that nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme responsible for the production of nitric oxide, is present in retina, and specifically in the rod outer segments. This enzyme uses L-arginine as a substrate and is NADPH- and calcium- dependent. L-arginine-derived nitric oxide may be a source of activation of guanylate cyclase in the retina.