The effect of intracerebroventricular injection of L-arginine on relative expression of mRNA of glutamic acid decarboxylase 1 and 2 (GAD1 and GAD2) genes in brain stem of neonatal chicken

Central Nitrergic and GABAergic play several roles in central nervous system. Release and modulation of some neurotransmitters can be affected by nitric oxide. This study was performed to find the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of L-arginine as a donor of nitric oxide on the relative mRNA expression of GAD1 and GAD2 in the brain stem of neonatal chicken.

Fifteen Leghorn neonatal chicks were divided into a control group (no injection), sham group (ICV injection of Evans-Blue 0.1%) and test group (ICV injection of 800 nM L-arginine.

ICV injection of L-arginine significantly decreased the relative mRNA expression of GAD1 and GAD2 (p < 0.05). The relative mRNA expression of these two genes in sham group and control group was similar (p > 0.05).

It seems that the effect of nitric oxide on GABAergic system in some physiological behaviors such as food intake is mediated by diminishing of the relative mRNA expression of GAD1 and GAD2.