Nitric oxide mediates long-term potentiation in rat superior cervical ganglion.

Long-term potentiation (LTP) of the nicotinic pathway of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) is remarkably similar to that of the hippocampus which has been shown to involve nitric oxide (NO). We investigated a similar possible involvement of NO in the LTP of the SCG of the rat. Treatment of ganglia with the NO-synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG, 10 microM) blocked LTP at the maintenance phase.