Brüning G
Department of Anatomy, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
J Comp Neurol. 1993 Aug 8;334(2):192-208. doi: 10.1002/cne.903340204.
NADPH-diaphorase, an enzyme catalyzed reaction thought to reflect the activity of nitric oxide synthase in the mammalian nervous system, was mapped in the brain of the chicken. Intensely stained neurons and fibers were found in most parts of the telencephalon, in particular in the neostriatum, paleostriatum augmentatum, olfactory tubercle, lobus parolfactorius, hyperstriatum accessorium, and hyperstriatum ventrale. Medial to the nucleus taeniae, an accumulation of stained cells was observed that appeared to merge with a band of stained neurons located dorsal to the occipitomesencephalic tract. These are considered to belong to the nucleus interstitialis of the dorsal olfactory projection. Further caudally, neurons with different staining intensities were found in the lateral hypothalamic area, lateral mammillary nucleus, periventricular organ, ventral tegmental area, medial spiriform nucleus, optic tectum, isthmooptic nucleus, mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus, interpeduncular nucleus, and central gray of the mesencephalon. A particularly dense cluster of NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons was located in the locus coeruleus. It is proposed that these might represent cholinergic cells intermingled with catecholaminergic neurons, thus forming the avian counterpart of the tegmental cholinergic nuclei of mammals. Several NADPH-diaphorase reactive neurons were seen in the parabrachial nucleus and medial and dorsal vestibular nucleus, as well as scattered in the reticular formation. In the caudal medulla, intensely stained cells were grouped around the central canal. Therefore the pattern of expression of NADPH-diaphorase, and thus possibly of nitric oxide synthase, within the avian and mammalian brain might be largely conserved.
还原型辅酶Ⅱ黄递酶，一种被认为能反映哺乳动物神经系统中一氧化氮合酶活性的酶催化反应，已在鸡脑中进行了定位。在端脑的大部分区域，特别是新纹状体、增新纹状体、嗅结节、副嗅叶、副新纹状体和腹侧新纹状体中发现了染色强烈的神经元和纤维。在带核内侧，观察到一群染色细胞的聚集，它们似乎与位于枕中脑束背侧的一条染色神经元带相连。这些被认为属于背侧嗅觉投射的间质核。再向尾侧，在外侧下丘脑区、外侧乳头体核、脑室周器官、腹侧被盖区、内侧螺旋状核、视顶盖、峡视核、中脑三叉神经核、脚间核和中脑中央灰质中发现了染色强度不同的神经元。在蓝斑中发现了一群特别密集的还原型辅酶Ⅱ黄递酶阳性神经元。有人提出，这些可能代表与儿茶酚胺能神经元混合的胆碱能细胞，从而形成哺乳动物被盖胆碱能核的鸟类对应物。在臂旁核、内侧和背侧前庭核中也看到了几个还原型辅酶Ⅱ黄递酶反应性神经元，并且它们分散在网状结构中。在延髓尾部，染色强烈的细胞围绕中央管成群分布。因此，还原型辅酶Ⅱ黄递酶以及可能的一氧化氮合酶在鸟类和哺乳动物脑中的表达模式可能在很大程度上是保守的。
