Nelson R J, Demas G E, Huang P L, Fishman M C, Dawson V L, Dawson T M, Snyder S H
Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Group, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218-2686, USA.
Nature. 1995 Nov 23;378(6555):383-6. doi: 10.1038/378383a0.
In addition to its role in blood vessel and macrophage function, nitric oxide (NO) is a neurotransmitter found in high densities in emotion-regulating brain regions. Mice with targeted disruption of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) display grossly normal appearance, locomotor activity, breeding, long-term potentiation and long-term depression. The nNOS- mice are resistant to neural stroke damage following middle cerebral artery ligation. Although CO2-induced cerebral vasodilatation in wild-type mice is NO-dependent, in nNOS- mice this vasodilation is unaffected by NOS inhibitors. Establishing a behavioural role for NO has, until now, not been feasible, as NOS inhibitor drugs can only be administered acutely and because their pronounced effects on blood pressure and other body functions obfuscate behavioural interpretations. We now report a large increase in aggressive behaviour and excess, inappropriate sexual behaviour in nNOS- mice.
除了在血管和巨噬细胞功能中发挥作用外，一氧化氮（NO）还是一种在调节情绪的脑区中高密度存在的神经递质。神经元型一氧化氮合酶（nNOS）靶向缺失的小鼠外观、运动活动、繁殖能力、长时程增强和长时程抑制均大致正常。nNOS基因敲除小鼠对大脑中动脉结扎后的神经中风损伤具有抗性。虽然野生型小鼠中二氧化碳诱导的脑血管舒张依赖于NO，但在nNOS基因敲除小鼠中，这种血管舒张不受一氧化氮合酶抑制剂的影响。到目前为止，确定NO的行为作用一直不可行，因为一氧化氮合酶抑制剂药物只能急性给药，而且它们对血压和其他身体功能的显著影响会混淆行为解释。我们现在报告nNOS基因敲除小鼠的攻击性行为大幅增加以及出现过度、不适当的性行为。
