Nitric Oxidecan Can Change the Computational Ability of the Brain

I found this article interesting because we just learned about the way neurons and neurotransmitters work within the brain. At the University of Leicester they explored how Nitric Oxide affects the nerve cells. Nerve cells communicate using synapse. This is where chemicals are packaged into vesicles and released to the post synaptic neuron. This process is tightly controlled. Nitric oxide is a chemical messenger. It can diffuse across cell membranes, but it cannot be stored. “”IT is broadly localized in the CNS, where it influences synaptic transmission and contributes to learning and memory mechanisms.” It can be difficult to study because only small amounts are released at a time. They have created a “giant synapse” that is called the clayx of Held. It was developed at the University in the 19190s. They are now using it to study auditory pathway of Nitric oxide signaling in the brain. They were able to show that NO suppress a key potassium ion-channel in response to an incoming synaptic activity. NO shifts the activity of the ion-channels out of the normal. The electrical potentials are normal short, but when slowed by the NO information passage is reduced. They also found the “”whole population of neurons were affected” including neurons with no active synaptic input. This made the Nitric oxide a “volume transmitter” meaning that the NO could pass information between the cells without a need for a synapse. Although NO can be extremely toxic and can cause death of nerve cells, its functions can make communication for the brain easy. This signaling mechanism could be the be part of neurodegeneration left unchecked from pathologies of stroke and dementias. But in the Future the research is being continued and these mechanisms could lead treatment for Alzheimer’s Patients.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=43499