N. Cholet et al., EFFECT OF NEURONAL NO SYNTHASE INHIBITION ON THE CEREBRAL VASODILATORY RESPONSE TO SOMATOSENSORY STIMULATION, Brain research, 708(1-2), 1996, pp. 197-200
Whether nitric oxide (NO) mediates - or not - the local cerebral blood
flow (CBF) increases occurring during functional brain activation is
still a controversial issue. In the present study, we sought to determ
ine whether neuronal NO synthase is involved in the cerebrovascular re
sponse to activation of the trigeminal pathway in the rat. Local CBF w
as measured using the autoradiographic [C-14]iodoantipyrine technique
in control alpha-chloralose anesthetized rats and 30 min following adm
inistration of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), an inhibitor of the neuronal NO
synthase. Unilateral whiskers stroking increased local CBF in all six
regions of the trigeminal pathway. Under 7-NI, CBF was slightly decre
ased and the vasodilatatory response to whisker stimulation was unalte
red in the four trigeminal nuclei studied. In contrast, no significant
vasodilatation was noted in the ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleu
s and somatosensory cortex. These results suggest that the neuronal NO
synthase mediates the hyperemia associated with somatosensory activat
ion in second order relay stations but not in the site of termination
of primary afferents.