The effect of occlusion of the abdominal aorta on NADPH-d activity in the rabbit spinal cord

Histochemical characterization of NADPH-d positive structures in the rabbit spinal cord during the normal and ischaemic conditions was performed. Stro ngly enhanced staining of NADPH-d positive neurons and their processes appe ared in the superficial dorsal horn (laminae I-III), the pericentral region (lamina X) and mainly in neurons of the sacral parasympathetic nucleus at the end of 40 min of abdominal aorta ligation. These findings suggest that ischaemia causes increased production of NADPH-d/NOS enzyme in the lumbosac ral spinel cord of the rabbit.