Temporal Dynamics of Brain Tissue Nitric Oxide during Functional Forepaw Stimulation in Rats
Authors: Buerk D.G.1; Ances B.M.2; Greenberg J.H.2, 3; Detre J.A.2, 3
Source: NeuroImage, Volume 18, Number 1, January 2003 , pp. 1-9(9)
Publisher: Academic Press
Abstract:
We report the first dynamic measurements of tissue nitric oxide (NO) during functional activation of rat somatosensory cortex by electrical forepaw stimulation. Cortical tissue NO was measured electrochemically with rapid-responding recessed microelectrodes (tips <10
m). Simultaneous blood flow measurements were made by laserDoppler flowmetry (LDF). NO immediately increased, reaching a peak 125.5 ± 32.8 (SE) nM above baseline (P < 0.05) within 400 ms after stimulus onset, preceding any LDF changes, and then returned close to prestimulus levels after 2 s (123 signal-averaged trials, 12 rats). Blood flow began rising after a 1-s delay, reaching a peak just before electrical stimulation was ended at t = 4 s. A consistent poststimulus NO undershoot was observed as LDF returned to baseline. These findings complement our previous study (B. M. Ances et al., 2001, Neurosci. Lett. 306, 106110) in which a transient decrease in rat somatosensory cortex tissue oxygen partial pressure was found to precede blood flow increases during functional activation. ©2002 Elsevier Science (USA).
Keywords: cerebral blood flow; functional activation; laser; Doppler flowmetry; nitric oxide; nitric oxide synthase; nitric oxide microelectrode
Language: English
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1006/nimg.2002.1314
Affiliations: 1: Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Environmental Medicine 2: Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Environmental Medicine, Department of Neurology 3: Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Environmental Medicine, Department of Neurology, Cerebrovascular Research Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

Click here for Page Help