A nitrergic projection from the superior olivary complex to the inferior colliculus of the rat

The present study was conducted to test whether the ascending auditory projection from the superior olivary complex (SOC) of the brainstem to the inferior colliculus (IC) may use nitric oxide (NO) as a neuroactive compound. We identified olivo-collicular projection neurons in subnuclei of the SOC by retrograde neuronal tracing with Fluoro-Gold (FG) injected into the central nucleus of the IC. Sections containing retrograde labelled neurons were subjected to immunohistochemical incubation in an antiserum directed against the enzyme responsible for NO production in nerve cells, neuronal NO synthase (nNOS). The analysis showed that FG-containing neurons as well as nNOS-immunoreactive neurons w…