McDonald A J, Payne D R, Mascagni F
Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Neurosciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia 29208.
Neuroscience. 1993 Jan;52(1):97-106. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(93)90185-i.
Putative nitric oxide-containing neurons in the rat amygdala were studied using reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase histochemistry. All nuclei of the amygdala contained subpopulations of diaphorase-positive neurons, but the staining intensity of different subpopulations varied. Intensely stained neurons exhibited labeling of the cell body and the entire dendritic arborization. The lateral nucleus had the greatest concentration of intensely labeled cells. Many intensely labeled neurons were located along nuclear boundaries and fiber bundles. In addition to neuronal staining, there was a differential staining of the neuropil in different amygdaloid nuclei. In the basolateral and cortical nuclei the diaphorase-positive cells were non-pyramidal neurons that resembled those containing somatostatin and neuropeptide Y. The distribution and neuronal morphology of labeled neurons in the central nucleus and anterior amygdaloid area suggests that diaphorase-positive cells in these areas may be cholinergic. Recent studies have shown that the enzyme responsible for neuronal diaphorase activity is actually the synthetic enzyme for the newly discovered neurotransmitter nitric oxide. Since there is evidence that nitric oxide plays an important role in excitotoxic neuronal degeneration, the neurons identified in the present study may be involved in degenerative diseases of the amygdala.
运用还原型烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸磷酸黄递酶组织化学方法，对大鼠杏仁核中可能含一氧化氮的神经元进行了研究。杏仁核的所有核团均含有黄递酶阳性神经元亚群，但不同亚群的染色强度有所不同。染色强烈的神经元呈现出细胞体及其整个树突分支的标记。外侧核中染色强烈的细胞浓度最高。许多染色强烈的神经元位于核边界和纤维束沿线。除了神经元染色外，不同杏仁核核团的神经毡也存在差异染色。在基底外侧核和皮质核中，黄递酶阳性细胞为非锥体神经元，类似于含有生长抑素和神经肽Y的神经元。中央核和杏仁前区中标记神经元的分布及神经元形态表明，这些区域的黄递酶阳性细胞可能是胆碱能的。最近的研究表明，负责神经元黄递酶活性的酶实际上是新发现的神经递质一氧化氮的合成酶。由于有证据表明一氧化氮在兴奋性毒性神经元变性中起重要作用，本研究中鉴定出的神经元可能与杏仁核的退行性疾病有关。
