Blue light controls the development of sporangiophores in the zygomycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus Burgeff. Light represses the production of microsporangiophores and enhances the development of macrosporangiophores. Inhibition of the biosynthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin, a cofactor of NO synthase, inhibits this photomorphogenesis. Light induces production of citrulline from arginine in the mycel...

  The involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in the reinforcing properties of opioids was studied by examining the effect of a NO precursor (L-arginine) and NO synthase inhibitor (L-nitro-amino-methyl-ester, L-NAME) on the conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by morphine. The experiment was performed on male albino Swiss- White mice (25 ± 5 g). L-arginine in doses of 100, 200 and 500 mg/kg (i.p...

Red wine polyphenols have been reported to possess beneficial properties for preventing cardiovascular diseases but their neuroprotective effects during chronic L-NAME treatment have not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to analyze a time course of Provinols effects on brain NO synthase activity and oxidative damage in L-NAME-induced hypertension. Male Wistar rats, 12 weeks old, were d...

Nitric oxide (NO) participates in long-term potentiation (LTP) and other forms of synaptic plasticity in many different brain areas but where it comes from and how it acts remain controversial. Using rat and mouse hippocampal slices, we tested the hypothesis that tonic and phasic NO signals are needed and that they derive from different NO synthase isoforms. NMDA increased NO production in a ma...