FP6 priority

1.1.1   Genomics and Biotechnology for Health

1.2.

Title of the proposal

The origin, course and termination of truncospinal premotor nitric oxide synthase immunoreactive pathways in the spinal cord

Institute

Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Neurobiology
Soltesovej 4, 040 01 Kosice, Slovak Republic

Contact

Research subject for a potential FP6 project

Neuroanatomical studies aimed at description and distribution of NADPHd-exhibiting and NOS immunoreactive neurons in the gray matter of the brain and spinal cord visualized these neuronal types by means of histochemical and immunocytochemical methods. It should be mentioned that most studies analyzed NOS immunoreactive somata and their occurrence in the gray matter. Contrary to this, the origin and termination of putative NOS immunoreactive pathways remained almost completely unsettled. This project is aimed to design the possibility to explore the origin, course and termination of truncospinal premotor nitric oxide synthase immunoreactive systems in the dog and rabbit. Concurrently, the project suggests to perform a detailed analysis of the tectospinal, reticulospinal and vestibulospinal neuronal pathways including their origin in different regions of the brainstem and termination in the segments and laminae of the spinal cord gray matter. The description of the above mentioned pathways is the basic prerequisite to clarify the functional characteristics of these long descending premotor NOS-IR pathways.

Recent international cooperation of the research team

The Anesthesiology Research Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0819, USA

Proposer´s relevant publications related to the research subject

Marsala J., Kluchova D. and Marsala M. Spinal cord gray matter layers rich in NADPH diaphorase-positive neurons are refractory to ischemia-reperfusion-induced injury: a histochemical and silver impregnation study in rabbit. Exp. Neurol. 1997, 145:165-179
Marsala, J., Vanicky, I., Marsala, M., Jalc, P., Orendacova J. and Taira Y. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase in the spinal cord of dogs. Neuroscience. 1998, 85:847-862
Marsala J., Marsala M., Vanicky I. and Taira Y. Localization of NADPH diaphorase exhibiting neurons in the spinal cord of the rabbit. J. Comp. Neurol. 1999, 406:263-284
Orendacova J., Cizkova D., Kafka J., Lukacova N., Marsala M., Sulla I., Marsala J. and Katsube N. Cauda equina syndrome. Prog. Neurobiol. 2001, 64:613-637
Marsala J., Lukacova N., Cizkova N., Kafka J., Katsube N., Kucharova K., Marsala M. The case for the bulbospinal respiratory nitric oxide synthase immunoreactive pathway in the dog. Experimental Neurology (in press)