Bertini G, Bentivoglio M
Institute of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, Italy.
J Comp Neurol. 1997 Nov 10;388(1):89-105. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19971110)388:1<89::aid-cne6>3.0.co;2-k.
The distribution of neuronal elements that express nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the synthetic enzyme of the free radical nitric oxide, was investigated in the adult and developing rat thalamus by means of NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry, which is a marker of NOS. Immunocytochemistry was also used to confirm the equivalence between the histochemical pattern of staining and the distribution of the expression of the neuronal NOS isoform. In the adult thalamus, NADPH-d-positive and NOS-immunoreactive perikarya were selectively concentrated along the midline (in the paraventricular, rhomboid, and central medial nuclei) and in the dorsal and ventral lateral geniculate nuclei. Isolated clusters of stained neurons were also observed in the lateral posterior nucleus, in the dorsal part of the medial geniculate nucleus, and in the ventromedial nucleus. Positive perikarya were either absent or very sparse in the other thalamic nuclei. Many thalamic domains were, however, characterized by distinct patterns of NADPH-d-positive fibers, preterminal and terminal-like elements. The highest density of stained neuropil was observed in the anteroventral and anteromedial nuclei, in several of the midline nuclei, in the anterior intralaminar nuclei, and in the lateral and medial geniculate nuclei. Although histochemical reactivity was observed in the thalamus at birth, the intensity and the pattern of distribution of staining observed in adulthood was not achieved until the end of the third postnatal week. The NADPH-d histochemical positivity followed discrete developmental schedules in various thalamic domains, and different areas reached a mature pattern at different ages. In addition, populations of transiently stained neuronal cell bodies were observed in the medial thalamus during the first two postnatal weeks. These results show discrete patterns of expression of NOS in the adult and developing thalamus and suggest that nitric oxide may be involved in selected physiological and developmental roles in different thalamic domains.
通过作为一氧化氮合酶（NOS）标志物的还原型辅酶Ⅱ黄递酶（NADPH-d）组织化学方法，研究了成年和发育中大鼠丘脑内表达NOS（自由基一氧化氮的合成酶）的神经元成分的分布情况。免疫细胞化学也被用于证实组织化学染色模式与神经元NOS同工型表达分布之间的一致性。在成年丘脑中，NADPH-d阳性和NOS免疫反应阳性的胞体选择性地集中在中线部位（室旁核、菱形核和中央内侧核）以及背侧和腹侧外侧膝状体核。在丘脑后外侧核、内侧膝状体核的背侧部分以及腹内侧核中也观察到了孤立的染色神经元簇。在其他丘脑核中，阳性胞体要么不存在，要么非常稀少。然而，许多丘脑区域的特征是具有不同的NADPH-d阳性纤维、终末前和终末样成分的模式。在腹前核和腹内侧核、几个中线核、前板内核以及外侧和内侧膝状体核中观察到染色神经纤维网的密度最高。尽管在出生时丘脑中就观察到了组织化学反应，但直到出生后第三周结束才达到成年期观察到的染色强度和分布模式。NADPH-d组织化学阳性在不同丘脑区域遵循不同的发育进程，不同区域在不同年龄达到成熟模式。此外，在出生后的前两周内，在内侧丘脑中观察到了短暂染色的神经元细胞体群体。这些结果显示了成年和发育中丘脑中NOS表达的不同模式，并表明一氧化氮可能在不同丘脑区域参与特定的生理和发育作用。
