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. 2004 Dec;24(6):865–872. doi: 10.1007/s10571-004-6925-8

Response of NADPH-Diaphorase-Exhibiting Neurons in the Medullar Reticular Formation to High Spinal Cord Injury

Karolina Kucharova 1,✉, Pavol Jalc 1, Jozef Radonak 2, Jozef Marsala 1
PMCID: PMC11529973  PMID: 15672686

Abstract

1. The effect of hemisection of the cervical spinal cord on NADPH-diaphorase staining in the reticular nuclei of the rabbit medulla was investigated using histochemical technique.

2. A quantitative assessment of somal and neuropil NADPH-diaphorase staining was made by an image analyzer in a selected area of each reticular nucleus of the rabbit medulla.

3. On the 7th postsurgery day, the highest up-regulation of somatic NADPH-diapho- rase staining was observed in regions regulating cardiorespiratory processes; however, the highest increase of neuropil NADPH-diaphorase staining was found in the reticular nuclei modulating the tonus of postural muscles.

4. The degeneration of non-NADPH-diaphorase-stained neurons was detected throughout the reticular formation of the medulla, but the extent of neuronal death did not correlate with the up-regulation of the NADPH-diaphorase staining in the reticular nuclei of the medulla.

5. The findings provide evidence that NADPH-diaphorase-exhibiting neurons are refractory to the hemisection of the cervical spinal cord and that the neuronal up-regulation of NADPH-diaphorase at the medullar level is probably not a causative factor leading to the death of the reticulospinal neurons.

Keywords: nitric oxide, NADPH-diaphorase, high spinal cord injury, regeneration, reticular formation, rabbit

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