Nitric oxide in the nucleus raphe magnus modulates cutaneous blood flow in rats during hypothermia

Kourosh Arami, Masoumeh; Mirnajafi Zade, Javad; Komaki, Alireza; Amiri, Mahmood; Mehrpooya, Sara; Jahanshahi, Ali; Jamei, Behnam

doi:10.22038/ijbms.2015.5462

Nitric oxide in the nucleus raphe magnus modulates cutaneous blood flow in rats during hypothermia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Basic Sciences, Allied Medical College, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

² Medical College of Saveh, Saveh University of Medical Sciences, Saveh, Iran

³ Department of Physiology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Department of Physiology, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran

⁵ Department of Physiology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

10.22038/ijbms.2015.5462

Abstract

Objective(s): Nucleus Raphe Magnus (NRM) that is involved in the regulation of body temperature contains nitric oxide (NO) synthase. Considering the effect of NO on skin blood flow control, in this study, we assessed its thermoregulatory role within the raphe magnus.
Materials and Methods: To this end, tail blood flow of male Wistar rats was measured by laser doppler following the induction of hypothermia.
Results: Intra-NRM injection of SNP (exogenous NO donor, 0.1- 0.2 μl, 0.2 nM) increased the blood flow. Similarly, unilateral microinjection of glutamate (0.1- 0.2 μl, 2.3 nM) into the nucleus increased the blood flow. This effectof L-glutamate was reduced by prior intra NRM administrationof NO synthase inhibitor N^G-methyl-L-arginine or N^G-nitro-L-argininemethyl ester (L-NAME, 0.1 µl, 100 nM).
Conclusion: It is concluded that NO modulates the thermoregulatory response of NRM to hypothermia and may interactwith excitatory amino acids in central skin blood flow regulation.

Keywords

References

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