Nitrergic Transmission

Nitrergic transmission is synaptic transmission by nitric oxide. In contrast to other transmitters, NO is not preformed and stored in synaptic vesicles. When an... 

Gibson A (2001) Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors and nitrergic transmission—from zaprinast to sildenafil. Eur J Pharmacol 411 1-10... 

There are numerous transmitter substances. They include the amino acids glutamate, GABA and glycine acetylcholine the monoamines dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin the neuropeptides ATP and NO. Many neurones use not a single transmitter but two or even more, a phenomenon called cotransmission. Chemical synaptic transmission hence is diversified. The basic steps, however, are similar across all neurones, irrespective of their transmitter, with the exception of NO transmitter production and vesicular storage transmitter release postsynaptic receptor activation and transmitter inactivation. Figure 1 shows an overview. Nitrergic transmission, i.e. transmission by NO, differs from transmission by other transmitters and is not covered in this essay. 

Rand, M. J. (1992). Nitrergic transmission Nitric oxide as a mediator of non-adrenergic, noncholinergic neuro-effector transmission. Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. 19, 147-169. 

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