NADPHd-positive Neurons Research Articles

Nitric oxide-containing nerves in bowel segments of patients with Hirschsprung's disease

To assess the role of nerves that synthesize nitric oxide (NO) in Hirschsprung's Disease (HD), the authors studied the distribution of the enzyme NADPH diaphorase (NADPHd) in normal and diseased bowel segments. In the proximal (ganglionic) segment of the colon, NADPHd-positive neurons were present in both myenteric and submucosal plexuses. In the distal involved colonic segments from HD patients, the typical pattern of the neuronal network was completely missing in the regions of the two plexuses; instead, only disorganized NADPHd-positive nerve fibers were present and NADPHd-reactive neurons were absent. Mucosal NO synthase activity was 2.76 ± 0.38 nmol/g/min in the proximal segment and only 0.83 ± 0.49 nmol/g/min in the distal segment ( P < .05, N = 3).

Effects of eye enucleation on NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons in the superficial layers of the rat superior colliculus

Dihydronicotinamide adenine-dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) positive neurons in the superficial layers of superior colliculus (SC) were studied in the adult rat after eye enucleation at postnatal day 5 (P5). Bilaterally, NADPH-d histochemistry revealed either weakly or intensely labeled neurons. In the SC contralateral to the enucleation, the volume of superficial layers decreased significantly, whereas the total number of NADPH-d positive neurons was only slightly reduced, thus resulting in an increased cell density. Bilaterally, the number of NADPH-d positive neurons was around 20% of Nissl-stained neurons. While the number of neurons which were weakly positive for NADPH-d was unchanged contralateral to the enucleation (thus resulting in a significant increase in their percentage on the overall NADPH-d population), the number of intensely labeled neurons decreased by 30%. Intensely labeled neurons were classified with respect to cell size and dendritic distribution. Some (126) were reconstructed and analyzed on the computer, in order to quantitate morphological differences in dendritic distribution in the denervated and control SC. The percent of neurons which could be assigned to some classes (marginal, stellate, narrow field vertical and wide field vertical) was reduced contralateral to the enucleation. In addition, vertically-oriented neurons (narrow field vertical, wide field vertical and pyriform) showed a significant decrease in soma size, dendritic length and number of branch points. And finally, the overall orientation of dendrites on narrow and wide field vertical neurons was more dispersed, when compared to the control colliculus. Thus, P5 eye enucleation affects the adult morphology of NADPH-d positive neurons in the superficial layers of the rat SC, resulting in increased cell density, changed relative number of cells in each morphological type, and altered soma size, dendritic length and orientation in specific neurons.

Classification of the enteric nerve cells of the porcine small intestine into two subpopulations using enzyme histochemical techniques

Using acetylcholinesterase (AChE), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide diaphorase (NADHd), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPHd) enzyme histochemical techniques, the ganglionated plexuses of the porcine enteric nervous system were investigated in small intestine whole-mount preparations. Both AchE and NADHd techniques revealed a majority of the neurons in the ganglia of all three major plexuses. The AchE technique also demonstrated clearly the axodendritic networks of the plexus myentericus. Intraganglionic blank areas revealed the localization of negative cell groups. A very high correlation was found between the activity of both enzymes in one neuron, although this correlation was certainly not linear. Many neurons exhibited a stronger signal for one enzyme. A very small part of the positive nerve cells showed intense staining for both AchE and NADHd. The NADPHd technique demonstrated that the NADPHd-positive neurons fill the negative intraganglionic spaces in the ganglia. Double staining with the two other enzymes showed virtually no colocalization of NADPHd with either NADHd or AchE in the porcine jejunal enteric ganglia. Little negative intraganglionic spaces were seldom found, leaving room for perhaps still more negative enteric neurons. Based upon these results we suggest that the enteric neurons of the porcine small intestine can be subdivided into AchE-NADHd and NADPHd subpopulations. Since the latter colocalizes with the neuronal NO synthase enzyme, we further suggest a subdivision of the enteric nerve cells into AchE-NADHd and NOS-NADHd neurons.

Appearance and some neurochemical features of nitrergic neurons in the developing quail digestive tract.

Using immunocytochemistry, NADPH-diaphorase (NADPHd) histochemistry and electron microscopy, the appearance of nitrergic enteric neurons in different digestive tract regions of the embryonic, neonatal and adult quail was studied in whole mounts and sections. NADPHd was first expressed by embryonic day 4-5 in two distinct locations, namely the mesenchyme of the gizzard primordium and at the caeco-colonic junction. At embryonic day 6, nitrergic neurons had already begun to form a myenteric nerve network in the wall of the proventriculus, gizzard and proximal part of the large intestine and by embryonic day 9, a myenteric network was visualized along the entire digestive tract of the quail. At the level of the stomach, this network was confined to the area covered by the intermediate muscles. By embryonic day 12-13, the NADPHd-positive myenteric neurons in the wall of the distal parts of the blind-ending paired caeca also became organized into ganglia. From this developmental stage on, a submucous nitrergic nerve network, sandwiched between the lamina muscularis mucosae and the luminal side of the outer muscle layer, became prominent in the proventriculus and intestinal walls. In the adult quail, only a minority of the NADPHd-positive neurons stained for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) along the intestine. VIP-immunoreactive (IR) cell bodies were frequent in the myenteric plexus but not in the submucous plexus, whereas there were considerable numbers of NADPHd-positive neurons in both these plexuses. Nitrergic fibres were also observed in the outer muscle layer, but were almost absent from the lamina muscularis mucosa and lamina propria, in contrast to the dense VIP-ergic innervation encircling the bases of the intestinal crypts.

Increased incidence of counter-clockwise scalp hair whorl orientation in caucasian schizophrenic patients

To assess the role of nerves that synthesize nitric oxide (NO) in Hirschsprung's Disease (HD), the authors studied the distribution of the enzyme NADPH diaphorase (NADPHd) in normal and diseased bowel segments. In the proximal (ganglionic) segment of the colon, NADPHd-positive neurons were present in both myenteric and submucosal plexuses. In the distal involved colonic segments from HD patients, the typical pattern of the neuronal network was completely missing in the regions of the two plexuses; instead, only disorganized NADPHd-positive nerve fibers were present and NADPHd-reactive neurons were absent. Mucosal NO synthase activity was 2.76 ± 0.38 nmol/g/min in the proximal segment and only 0.83 ± 0.49 nmol/g/min in the distal segment (P < .05, N = 3).

Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) profiles in the amygdala of human and new world monkey ( Saimiri sciureus)

The topographic distribution of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-diaphorase (NADPH-d) stained profiles in the amygdala of the human and new world monkey ( Saimiri sciureus) were studied histochemically. Fiber and terminal staining were heterogeneously distributed within the amygdala. The most intense staining occurred in the basolateral subdivision, consisting of the lateral, basolateral and accessory basal nuclei. Moderate staining intensity was observed throughout the cortical and medial nuclei and cortical transition area, constituents of the corticomedial subdivision. The central amygdaloid area was characterized by minimal NADPH-d histochemical reactivity. NADPH-d positive neurons were pleomorphic and divisible into two classes based on their staining characteristics: intensely or lightly stained neurons. Their distribution was generally complementary, with the majority of intensely stained neurons occupying the basolateral subdivision. There were no appreciable species differences in the patterns of neuronal, fiber and terminal staining between monkey or human amygdala. These results may be relevant to our understanding of the selective vulnerability of neural systems within the human amygdala in neurodegenerative diseases.