Osmotic regulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression in the rat amygdala: Functional role for nitric oxide in adaptive responses?

Abstract

Water-deprivation-induced osmotic stress leads to activation of a number of adaptive responses. Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in the modulation of these responses, as the amygdala has been implicated in ingestive behavior and modulation of autonomic homeostatic functions. Here we investigated the effects of water deprivation on neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression within the rat amygdala; a brain area involved in modulating ingestive behavior and autonomic function. Water deprivation resulted in significant increases in nNOS immunoreactivity (-ir) within different regions of the amygdala compared with euhydrated rats. Maximal increases were observed in the anteroventral (..