Nitric Oxide Synthase and cGMP Activity in the Salivary Glands of the American Dog Tick Dermacentor variabilis

The tick Dermacentor variabilis returns much of the water and ions from the bloodmeal back into the host as saliva produced in paired salivary glands. These glands are made up of acini and a system of ducts (Fig. 1). Bloodsucking alternates with salivation, but saliva is constantly produced by the acini and expelled into the ducts where it accumulates during bloodsucking. Ducts consist of a layer of epithelial cells, a cuticular coil, and an epicuticular lining of the lumen (Figs. 2, 3). Actin-like filaments run from the coil into the epithelial cells as shown by TEM and CLSM (Figs. 3, 4). These filaments are absent in cytochalasin D treated ducts.Nitric oxide synthase (=NADPH diaphorase) is present in duct epithelial cells as shown by histochemistry (Fig. 5). We measured nitric oxide (NO) indirectly by the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline. NO production and production of saliva is dopamine dependent. NO activates guanylyl cyclase as measured by an RIA for cGMP. The lumen width in dopamine stimulated isolated ducts increased by 19.7% as measured optically. Ducts pre-treated with 10 μM L-NAME, an NOS specific inhibitor, showed no significant increase in width. The addition of 10 μM L-arginine to these ducts partially restored the increase in lumen diameter.

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Inducible nitric oxide synthase increases secretion from inflamed salivary glands

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/kep313 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 48-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Patricia N. Correia ◽

Guy H. Carpenter ◽

Katherine L. Paterson ◽

Gordon B. Proctor

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽

Salivary Glands ◽

Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽

Oxide Synthase ◽

Inducible Nitric Oxide

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Differential activation of nitric oxide synthase through muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in rat salivary glands

Journal of the Autonomic Nervous System ◽

10.1016/s0165-1838(99)00102-2 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 79 (2-3) ◽

pp. 99-107 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Claudia Pérez Leirós ◽

Florencia Rosignoli ◽

Ana Marı́a Genaro ◽

Marı́a Elena Sales ◽

Leonor Sterin-Borda y Enri Santiago Borda

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽

Salivary Glands ◽

Acetylcholine Receptors ◽

Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽

Differential Activation ◽

Muscarinic Acetylcholine ◽

Rat Salivary Glands ◽

Oxide Synthase

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Localization of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the normal and failing human atrial myocardium

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100166397 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 786-787

Author(s):

Chi-Ming Wei ◽

Margarita Bracamonte ◽

Shi-Wen Jiang ◽

Richard C. Daly ◽

Christopher G.A. McGregor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Heart Failure ◽

Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽

Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽

Cardiac Tissues ◽

Mammalian Tissues ◽

End Stage Heart Failure ◽

End Stage ◽

Oxide Synthase ◽

Endothelial Nitric Oxide

Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent endothelium-derived relaxing factor which also may modulate cardiomyocyte inotropism and growth via increasing cGMP. While endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) isoforms have been detected in non-human mammalian tissues, expression and localization of eNOS in the normal and failing human myocardium are poorly defined. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate eNOS in human cardiac tissues in the presence and absence of congestive heart failure (CHF).Normal and failing atrial tissue were obtained from six cardiac donors and six end-stage heart failure patients undergoing primary cardiac transplantation. ENOS protein expression and localization was investigated utilizing Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining with the polyclonal rabbit antibody to eNOS (Transduction Laboratories, Lexington, Kentucky).

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