Obligatory role of NO in glutamate-dependent hyperemia evoked from cerebellar parallel fibers

Electrical stimulation of cerebellar parallel fibers (PF) increases cerebellar blood flow (BFcrb), a response that is attenuated by glutamate receptor antagonists and NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors. We investigated whether administration of NO donors could counteract attenuation by NOS inhibitors of vasodilation produced by PF stimulation. In halothane-anesthetized rats the cerebellar cortex was exposed and superfused with Ringer solution. PF were stimulated with microelectrodes (100 mu A, 30 Hz), and BFcrb was recorded by a laser-Doppler probe. During Ringer superfusion, PF stimulation increased BFcrb by 56 +/- 7% and hypercapnia by 72 +/- 5% (n = 5). Superfusion with the nonselective NOS inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 1 mM) reduced resting BFcrb and attenuated the response to PF stimulation (-47 +/- 5%) and hypercapnia (-46 +/- 7%; PCO2 = 50-60 mmHg). After L-NNA, superfusion with the NO donors 3-morpholinosydnonimine (100 mu M, n = 5) or S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (5 mu M, n = 5) reestablished resting BFcrb (P > 0.05 vs. before L-NNA) and reversed L-NNA-induced attenuation of the response to hypercapnia (P > 0.05 vs. before L-NNA) but not PF stimulation (P > 0.05 vs. after L-NNA). Similar results were obtained when NOS activity was inhibited with the inhibitor of neuronal NOS 7-nitroindazole (50 mg/kg ip). Like NO donors, the guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate analog 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (n = 5), administered after L-NNA, restored resting BFcrb and counteracted inhibition of the response to hypercapnia but not PF stimulation. In contrast to NO donors and 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, the NO-independent vasodilator papaverine (100 mu M, n = 5) had no effect on attenuation of responses to PF stimulation or hypercapnia. Thus NO donors are unable to reverse the effect of NOS inhibition on vasodilation produced by PF stimulation. The data support the hypothesis that the vascular response to PF stimulation, at variance with hypercapnia, requires NOS activation and NO production. Thus NO plays an obligatory role in vasodilation produced by increased functional activity in cerebellar cortex.