Distribution of nitric oxide synthase in the retina of the rat, hamster and rabbit

Abstract

The distribution of nitric oxide synthase(NOS)in the retina of adult male rat,hamster and rabbit has been studied by using NADPH-diaphorase histochemical staining method(NDP).The results from the different kinds of animals were compared in the present study and show that most NOS positive neurons were amacrine cells in the inner nuclear layer,while a small number NOS positive neurons belong to ganglion cells and displaced amacrine cells in the ganglion cell layet.The distribution,density of the NOS positive cells do not coincide in the retina of different kinds of animals,In the rat most NOS positive amacrine cells located in the inner nuclear layer.Only few NOS positive displaced amacrine cells and few ganglion cells were detected in the ganglion cell layer,In the hamster retina the NOS positive amacrine cells were showed in both inner nuclear layer and ganglion cell layer,The number of NOS positive ganglion cells in the hamster is more than in the rat.However,in the rabbit NOS positive amacrine cells were only seen in the inner nuclear layer,It was indicated that the density of NOS positive neurons in the rat is similar to the rabbit(mean density of NOS positive neurons in the rat is 35. 98 cells/mm2 and rabbit is 41. 54 cells/mm2,respectively ).The highest density of NOS positive neurons was detected in the hamster retina(mean density of NOS positive neurons is 141.42 cells/mm2). We suggest that NOS might be as a new class of neurotransmitter and be involved in the formation,regulation and transmission of the visual information.

用ＮＡＤＰＨ黃遞酶組織化學染色法（ＮＤＰ）觀察了正常成年大鼠、金黃地鼠和家兔視網膜內一氧化氮合酶（ＮＯＳ）的分布，并比較了３種不同動物的區別。結果顯示，在視網膜內ＮＯＳ陽性神經元主要為分布于內核層的無長突細胞、節細胞層的移位無長突細胞和少數節細胞。不同種類動物的視網膜內，ＮＯＳ陽性細胞的配布、密度和細胞形態均有差異。大鼠視網膜內ＮＯＳ陽性細胞多屬于內核層無長突細胞和節細胞層移位無長突細胞，偶見于視網膜節細胞。金黃地鼠視網膜內ＮＯＳ陽性細胞分布于內核層無長突細胞和節細胞層的移位無長突細胞，ＮＯＳ陽性節細胞的數目比大鼠多。家兔視網膜內ＮＯＳ陽性細胞僅見于內核層無長實細胞。金黃地鼠視網膜ＮＯＳ陽性細胞分市密度最大，平均為１４１．４２個細胞／ｍｍ２；大鼠和家兔視網膜ＮＯＳ陽性細胞分布密度相似，分別平均為３５．９８個細胞／ｍｍ２和４１．５４個細胞／ｍｍ２。實驗結果提示，一氧化氮可能作為一種重要的神經遞質參與視覺信息的形成、整合和傳遞。