Marked increases in neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) mRNA and NADPH-diaphorase histostaining in adrenal cortex after immobilization stress in rats.

Abstract

The changes of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) mRNA expression in the rat adrenal gland following immobilization-induced stress were examined by the in situ hybridization technique. To introduce immobilization stress, the animals were wrapped with flexible wire gauze for 6 h. In the adrenal medulla and cortex, signals for nNOS mRNA were detected. In the adrenal medulla, the difference between non-stressed and stressed animals was not clear. In the adrenal cortex, the expression of nNOS mRNA markedly increased (2.5-fold) in the stressed animals. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-diaphorase) histochemistry also showed an increase of staining in adrenal cortex after stress. This suggests that nitric oxide (NO) is involved in stress-induced activation in adrenal cortex function.