New research from the University of Leicester, UK, has shed light on a new way by which neurons in the brain communicate with one another. This new insight adds more detail to the current picture of brain cell communication at the synapse, and could potentially help in our understanding of how and why a range of neurodegenerative diseases occur.
The team, led by Dr Joern Steinert from the MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester, found that a simple, small molecule present in the whole animal kingdom - including the human body - called nitric oxide, plays a vital role at the synapse.
Nitric oxide is a small signalling molecule employed throughout the body for a range of different bodily functions. Thanks to its small size it is diffusible, meaning it can work as a messenger between cells and tissues. It has a key role in maintaining blood pressure and blood flow and is known to be utilized by blood vessels to relax their muscle walls and cause their dilation. This improves blood flow to areas of the body that might need it.
Apart from its ‘maintenance’ or ‘homoestatic’ role as a regulator of blood flow, it is also an important first line of defence for the immune system, as some white blood cells produce large concentrations of nitric oxide to kill bacteria and fight-off infection.
What does nitric oxide do in the brain?
The findings of the new paper1 build on a body of work that have shown that nitric oxide is also important for maintaining brain function. Especially at the level of brain cell communication at the synapse, the point where two brain cells connect and neurotransmitter is released. Here it has been shown to be important for maintaining correct signalling between neurons over time, a process known as homeostatic plasticity. In fact, erroneous or uncontrolled nitric oxide signalling has been linked with neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.2
New research from the University of Leicester, UK, has shed light on a new way by which neurons in the brain communicate with one another. This new insight adds more detail to the current picture of brain cell communication at the synapse, and could potentially help in our understanding of how and why a range of neurodegenerative diseases occur.
The team, led by Dr Joern Steinert from the MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester, found that a simple, small molecule present in the whole animal kingdom - including the human body - called nitric oxide, plays a vital role at the synapse.
Nitric oxide is a small signalling molecule employed throughout the body for a range of different bodily functions. Thanks to its small size it is diffusible, meaning it can work as a messenger between cells and tissues. It has a key role in maintaining blood pressure and blood flow and is known to be utilized by blood vessels to relax their muscle walls and cause their dilation. This improves blood flow to areas of the body that might need it.
Apart from its ‘maintenance’ or ‘homoestatic’ role as a regulator of blood flow, it is also an important first line of defence for the immune system, as some white blood cells produce large concentrations of nitric oxide to kill bacteria and fight-off infection.
What does nitric oxide do in the brain?
The findings of the new paper1 build on a body of work that have shown that nitric oxide is also important for maintaining brain function. Especially at the level of brain cell communication at the synapse, the point where two brain cells connect and neurotransmitter is released. Here it has been shown to be important for maintaining correct signalling between neurons over time, a process known as homeostatic plasticity. In fact, erroneous or uncontrolled nitric oxide signalling has been linked with neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.2
https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/articles/why-is-a-molecule-necessary-for-penile-erections-important-for-brain-cell-communication-299681