Nicotine-evoked nitric oxide release in the rat hippocampal slice

Dennison A. Smith, Alexander F. Hoffman, Daniel J. David, Catherine E. Adams, Greg A. Gerhardt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The effects of cholinergic agonists on nitric oxide (NO) release in hippocampal slices from male Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated using electrochemical recording procedures using Nafion and o-phenylenediamine- treated carbon fiber microelectrodes. These microelectrodes are highly selective for NO versus other interferents. Acetylcholine (Ach) with neostigmine, or nicotine was delivered by pressure ejection from pipettes placed within 300 μm of the NO sensors. Both Ach arid nicotine produced NO signals ranging from 0.04 to 2.14 μM in the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus of the rat hippocampus that lasted for 2-5 min. The Ach responses were not antagonized by the muscarinic antagonist atropine. However, nicotine-evoked responses were partially antagonized by α-bungarotoxin, a finding consistent with α7-nicotinic cholinergic receptors being involved with the effects of nicotine. These data support the hypothesis that nicotine is capable of evoking long lasting NO release in the hippocampus.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)127-130
Number of pages4
JournalNeuroscience letters
Volume255
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 23 1998

Keywords

  • Acetylcholine
  • Brain slices
  • Hippocampus
  • Nicotine
  • Nitric oxide
  • Rat
  • Schizophrenia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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