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Cerebellar nitric oxide is necessary for vestibulo-ocular reflex adaptation, a sensorimotor model of learning
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Cerebellar nitric oxide is necessary for vestibulo-ocular reflex adaptation, a sensorimotor model of learning

J Li, S S Smith and J G McElligott
Journal of neurophysiology, v 74(1), pp 489-494
Jul 1995
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1995.74.1.489
PMID: 7472353
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

Abstract

Adaptation, Ocular - drug effects Adaptation, Ocular - physiology Animals Arginine - analogs & derivatives Arginine - pharmacology Cerebellum - drug effects Cerebellum - metabolism Cerebellum - physiology Electromagnetic Fields Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology Goldfish - physiology Histocytochemistry Learning - drug effects Learning - physiology Models, Neurological Nitric Oxide - physiology Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors omega-N-Methylarginine Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular - drug effects Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular - physiology
1. Nitric oxide (NO) production in the nervous system has been implicated in cellular mechanisms of learning and memory. Our study investigates an in vivo sensorimotor model of learning. It demonstrates that a localized vestibulocerebellar injection of the NO synthase inhibitor, L-NG-monomethyl-arginine (L-NMMA), which specifically blocks NO production, inhibited the acquisition of adaptive vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain increases but not gain decreases in the goldfish. 2. Restoration of NO production by concomitant administration of L-arginine (the substrate for NO synthase) and L-NMMA suppressed the inhibitory effect of L-NMMA on adaptive gain increases. 3. This effect of L-NMMA was stereospecific because injection of D-NMMA did not suppress adaptive VOR gain increases. 4. Injection of L-NMMA after VOR adaptation had no effect on retention, failing to alter the postadaptive recovery after a VOR gain increase. 5. In conclusion, acquisition of adaptive VOR gain increases are affected by cerebellar NO inhibition. However, because gain decreases are not, they may involve either non-NO cerebellar or extracerebellar mechanisms. In addition, different processes for acquisition and retention of gain increases may be operating, because inhibition of cerebellar NO affects the acquisition but not the retention phase.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Neurosciences
Physiology
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