S. Kobayashi et al., Nitric oxide generation around buccal ganglia accompanying feeding behavior in the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, NEUROSCI RE, 38(1), 2000, pp. 27-34
Although there are many lines of evidence for both the presence of nitric o
xide synthase (NOS) in the central nervous system (CNS) and the effects of
NO on activating and modulating the feeding circuit in Lymnaea stagnalis, t
here has been no direct evidence that NO generation in the CNS accompanies
feeding behavior. In the present study, we used a NO specific electrode to
measure the increase in NO concentration around the buccal ganglia when the
lips of semi-intact preparations of L. stagnalis were stimulated by sucros
e. The NO concentration of the buccal ganglia was significantly increased b
y an application of sucrose to the lips. A NO scavenger and a NOS inhibitor
suppressed this increase in NO concentration. A pair of putative NO-genera
tive neurons in the buccal ganglia, the B2 cells, are active during the int
er-feeding phase, and the bursting of the B2 cell elicited by sucrose appli
cation starts simultaneously with the feeding response. The rhythmic pulses
of NO generation corresponded well with the rhythmic bursting of the B2 ce
lls, which itself corresponds to the 'fictive feeding response'. The presen
t data provide the first direct evidence that NO is generated in the buccal
ganglia of L, staganalis and is involved in a specific behavior such as Fe
eding. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Soc
iety. All rights reserved.