NADPH-diaphorase activity of nitric oxide synthase in the olfactory bulb: co-factor specificity and characterization regarding the interrelation to NO formation.

The neuronal form of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) synthesizes the messenger molecule nitric oxide (NO). In addition to NO formation, nNOS exhibits a so-called NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity. This study focused on the characterization of NADPH-d activity with regard to NO formation in the rat olfactory bulb. In this area of the brain pronounced staining is localized in discrete populations of neuronal somata and in olfactory glomeruli. Diaphorase staining combined with demonstration of nNOS by polyclonal antibodies revealed that NADPH-d activity of neuron somata is associated with nNOS immunoreactivity. It is concluded that neuron somata exhibit NADPH-d activity of nNOS. NAD…