Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase-Immunoreactivity

Abstract

The influence of botulinum toxin type A (BTA) on cellular mechanisms has not been studied in much detail. Since nitric oxide (NO) is of increasing interest as a neuromodulator in the innervation of the nose, its localization was examined in the nasal mucosa of guinea pigs treated with BTA or saline. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactivity (nNOS-IR) was found around vessels and nasal glands. Immunoreactivity was seen in the respiratory epithelium, in the periost and the osteocytes of the turbinate bone. A distinct interindividual difference in the strength of nNOS-IR was obvious among the animals, but there was no difference in the strength of immunoreactivity between the animals treated with BTA or saline. NO might therefore contribute to the regulation of vascular tone, glandular function, respiratory epithelial cell function and bone metabolism. BTA does not seem to influence the processes regulated and modulated by NO. This may represent a benefit for the application of BTA.

The effect of local injection of botulinum toxin A on the immunoreactivity of nNOS in the rat submandibular gland: An immunohistochemical study

“…In other tissues of the head and neck region, too, nNOS immunoreactivity could be shown, for instance in human nasal mucosa [17]. Our findings presented here, however, are in contrast to results of experiments with guinea pigs [13] where in the nasal mucosa no difference in immunoreactivity could be found between glands treated with either botulinum toxin or physiological saline. We were now able to show in rat submandibular glands that there is a distinct effect of the local injection of botulinum toxin A on the immunoreactivity of nNOS.…”

“…For the demonstration of nNOS immunoreactivity, a rabbit polyclonal antiserum raised against human nNOS was used (Upstate Biotechnology, Lake Placid, USA) that specifically binds to the enzyme [12,13]. In a second step, a secondary peroxidase-labeled antibody was added (porcine anti-rabbit immunoglobulin, Dako, Hamburg, Germany).…”

Immunohistochemical Evidence of nNOS and Changes after Intraglandular Application of Botulinum Toxin A in Cephalic Salivary Glands of Adult Rats

“…Our findings presented here, however, are in contrast to results of experiments with guinea pigs [8] where no difference in immunoreactivity could be found in the nasal mucosa between glands treated with either botulinum toxin or physiological saline. The influence of toxin treatment on the activity of nNOS in the cephalic salivary glands of the rat described by us could explain the sometimes longer duration of the toxin effect at the neuroglandular junction than at the motor endplate which has been found in clinical studies [5,6,14,15].…”

“…For the demonstration of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) immunoreactivity, a rabbit polyclonal antiserum raised against human nNOS was used (Upstate Biotechnology, Lake Placid, N.Y., USA) that specifically binds to the enzyme [7,8]. In a second step, a secondary peroxidase-labeled antibody was added (porcine antirabbit immunoglobulin, Dako, Hamburg, Germany).…”

Localization of Active Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 in Nasal Polyps and Nasal Hyperplasia in Consideration of Mast Cell Function: A Semiquantitatively Analysis

“…The study was approved by the local committee on human experimentation and patients gave their consent to participate. Tissue fixation, HE-staining and immunohistochemistry were done as described elsewhere [24] by using caspase-3-antibody (polyclonal rabbit-anti-human/ mouse-caspase-3-active-antibody, R & D Systems, Wiesbaden, Germany), diluted 1:500 in TBS-BSA 1% for 2 hours and bridge-antibody (goat-anti-rabbit-immunoglobulin-antibody, DAKO A/S, Glostrup, Denmark), diluted 1:50 with TBS-BSA.…”