Postnatal expression of the plasticity-related nerve growth factor-induced gene A (NGFI-A) protein in the superficial layers of the rat superior colliculus: relation to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor function.

Immediate early gene expression in the CNS is induced by sensory stimulation and seems to be involved in long-term synaptic plasticity. We have used an immunohistochemical method to detect the nerve growth factor-induced gene A (NGFI-A) protein expression in the superficial layers of the rat superior colliculus during postnatal development. Our goal was to correlate the expression of this candidate plasticity protein with developmental events, especially the activity-dependent refinement of the retinocollicular and corticocollicular pathways. We have also investigated the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor dependence of the NGFI-A expression. Animals of various postnatal ages were used. Postnatal day (P) 12 and older animals were submitted to a protocol of dark adaptation followed by light stimulation. NGFI-A expression was never observed during the first 2 postnatal weeks. The first stained cells were observed at P15, 2 days after eye opening (P13). The highest number of stained cells was observed at the end of the third postnatal week (P22). Adult-like level of expression was reached at P30, since at this age, the number of stained cells was comparable to that found in adult rats (P90). Both P22 animals submitted to an acute treatment with MK-801 (i.p. injection) and adult animals submitted to chronic intracranial infusion of a MK-801 presented a clear decrease in the NGFI-A expression in response to light stimulation. These results suggest that the NGFI-A expression is dependent on the NMDA receptor activation, and the observed pattern of expression is in close agreement with previous descriptions of the changes in the NMDA receptor-mediated visual activity in the developing rat superior colliculus (SC). Our results suggest that the plasticity-related NGFI-A protein might play a role in the developmental plasticity of the superficial layers of the rat SC after eye opening.

Expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the developing superficial layers of the rat superior colliculus.

We investigated the level of expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the retinorecipient layers of the rat superior colliculus during early postnatal development. Male and female Lister rats ranging in age between the day of birth (P0) and the fourth postnatal week were used in the present study. Two biochemical methods were used, i.e., in vitro measurement of NOS specific activity by the conversion of [3H]-arginine to [3H]-citrulline, and analysis of Western blotting immunoreactive bands from superior colliculus homogenates. As revealed by Western blotting, very weak immunoreactive bands were observed as early as P0-2, and their intensity increased progressively at least until P21. The analysis of specific activity of NOS showed similar results. There was a progressive increase in enzymatic activity until near the end of the second postnatal week, and a nonsignificant tendency to an increase until the end of the third week was also observed. Thus, these results indicated an increase in the amount of nNOS during the first weeks after birth. Our results confirm and extend previous reports using histochemistry for NADPH-diaphorase and immunocytochemistry for nNOS, which showed a progressive increase in the number of stained cells in the superficial layers during the first two postnatal weeks, reaching an adult pattern at the end of the third week. Furthermore, our results suggested that nNOS is present in an active form in the rat superior colliculus during the period of refinement of the retinocollicular pathway.

Expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the developing superficial layers of the rat superior colliculus

We investigated the level of expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the retinorecipient layers of the rat superior colliculus during early postnatal development. Male and female Lister rats ranging in age between the day of birth (P0) and the fourth postnatal week were used in the present study. Two biochemical methods were used, i.e., in vitro measurement of NOS specific activity by the conversion of [ H]-arginine to [ H]-citrulline, and analysis of Western blotting immunoreactive bands from superior colliculus homogenates. As revealed by Western blotting, very weak immunoreactive bands were observed as early as P0-2, and their intensity increased progressively at least until P21. The analysis of specific activity of NOS showed similar results. There was a progressive increase in enzymatic activity until near the end of the second postnatal week, and a nonsignificant tendency to an increase until the end of the third week was also observed. Thus, these results indicated an increase in the amount of nNOS during the first weeks after birth. Our results confirm and extend previous reports using histochemistry for NADPH-diaphorase and immunocytochemistry for nNOS, which showed a progressive increase in the number of stained cells in the superficial layers during the first two postnatal weeks, reaching an adult pattern at the end of the third week. Furthermore, our results suggested that nNOS is present in an active form in the rat superior colliculus during the period of refinement of the retinocollicular pathway.

Nitric oxide synthase expression in the opossum superior colliculus: a histochemical, immunohistochemical and biochemical study.

The expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the superior colliculus (SC) of the opossum Didelphis marsupialis was studied by NADPH diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry and nNOS immunohistochemistry. In addition, the activity of nNOS was quantified by measurement of [(3)H]-L-arginine conversion to [(3)H]-L-citrulline in tissue extracts from SC superficial layers in opossums and rats. Our results show that the number of NADPH-d stained cells was small and virtually identical in stratum opticum (SO) and stratum griseum superficiale (SGS) and their staining was very light, particularly in SGS. Neuropil staining was heavier in the stratum zonale (SZ) than in SGS or SO. The intermediate and deep layers contained heavily stained cells and moderate neuropil staining. Surprisingly, nNOS-immunoreactive cells were far more numerous than NADPH-d+ cells in every layer. The production of [(3)H]-L-citrulline from [(3)H]-L-arginine in tissue extracts enriched in superficial layers indicated that nNOS specific activity is as high in the opossum as in the rat. Our results suggest that the location of nNOS-expressing neurons in retino-receptive layers may be related to inter-specific differences in the processing of visual information.

Eye enucleation alters intracellular distribution of NO synthase in the superior colliculus.

We investigated the role of retinotectal projections on the distribution of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the retinoceptive layers of the rat superior colliculus (SC) using histochemical methods. Rats enucleated at birth showed no alteration in the temporal pattern of NOS expression. There was, however, a dramatic change in the NADPH-diaphorase staining pattern of NOS-positive cells. NOS was absent from the distal portions of the dendritic trees of the deafferented SC. Nevertheless, staining the dendritic trees of these cells with Lucifer yellow showed that they were not morphologically different from those of the ipsilateral SC of monoenucleated animals. The same results were obtained when enucleation was performed in adult rats. We conclude that NOS intracellular distribution in the SC cells can be regulated by retinotectal projections in both developing and adult animals.

Patterns of nitric oxide synthase expression in the developing superior colliculus.

Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized in cells of both the central and peripheral nervous system and has been implicated in several forms of synaptic plasticity. The enzyme that produces NO, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), can be visualized in the brain by the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase histochemistry technique (NADPH-d). We have used NADPH-d activity to detect the presence of NOS-positive cells in the developing rat superior colliculus. Our results showed that NOS is present in cells and neuropil in the developing and adult rat superior colliculus. The first NOS-positive cells appeared at postnatal day 7 and were weakly stained. The number and intensity of the NOS-positive cells increased progressively during the following days reaching a maximum at postnatal day 15. By the end of the third postnatal week, both the number and intensity of stained cells showed an adult-like pattern. The NOS-positive cells showed a Golgi-like morphology and we have found that all cell types present in the superior colliculus express the enzyme. The expression of NOS by tectal cells parallels the functional development of the retino-collicular and cortico-tectal projections and suggest that nitric oxide synthase-positive cells might be involved in this process. In this review we highlighted some of the recent descriptions of the expression of NOS in the mammalian visual system with emphasis in the superior colliculus and correlate these findings with several developmental events taking place in this structure.

Morphology of NADPH-diaphorase-positive cells in the retinoceptive layers of the developing rat superior colliculus.

We have used diaphorase histochemistry to study the morphology of cells expressing nitric oxide synthase in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus of developing and adult rats. The nitric oxide synthase-positive cells showed a Golgi-like morphology and were classified according to the cell types identified by several authors using the Golgi method. The first nitric oxide synthase-positive cells appeared at postnatal day 7 and the number of stained cells increased progressively reaching a maximum at postnatal day 15. The poor staining of the dendritic tree and cell bodies in animals younger than postnatal day 15 allowed no unambiguous identification of the different cell types before that age. At postnatal day 15, based on cell soma and dendritic morphology, we have found that the following cell types express nitric oxide synthase: marginal, horizontal, narrow and wide-field vertical and stellate. In the adult, the same cell types were found to express nitric oxide synthase but the staining intensity and frequency of each cell type was different from the developing animal. Our results show that cells expressing nitric oxide synthase constitute a subpopulation of neurons in which all cell types are represented. Furthermore, our observations of nitric oxide synthase expression by collicular cells starting by the end of the first postnatal week and reaching a maximum by postnatal day 15 parallels the functional development of the retino-collicular and cortico-tectal projections and suggest that nitric oxide synthase-positive cells might be involved in this process.

Developmental changes of nitric oxide synthase in the rat superior colliculus.

We used the activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) to detect the presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the developing rat superior colliculus. Our results showed that NOS is present in cells and neuropil in the developing and adult rat superior colliculus. The first NOS-positive cells were detected at postnatal day 7 and were weakly stained. During the following days the number of stained cells increased markedly, reaching a peak by postnatal day 15, coinciding with the time of eye opening in the rat. By the end of the third postnatal week, both the number and intensity of stained cells showed an adult-like pattern. We conclude that NOS expression lags behind the initial period of reorganization of the retinotectal projection. However, NOS activity could be involved in the subsequent synaptic remodeling and plasticity of the retinocollicular projection.