Cerebellar nitric oxide synthase activity is reduced in nervous and Purkinje cell degeneration mutants but not in climbing fiber-lesioned mice.

We measured nitric oxide synthase activity in nervous, Purkinje cell degeneration mutant mice and 3-acetylpyridine-treated mice to determine the cellular localization of nitric oxide synthase in the cerebellum. Nitric oxide synthase activity per cerebellum was reduced to less than 50% of that of controls in nervous and Purkinje cell degeneration mutants, while in 3-acetylpyridine-treated mice there was no reduction.