Dopamine and nitric oxide control both flickering and steady-light-induced cone contraction and horizontal cell spinule formation in the teleost (carp) retina: Serial interaction of dopamine and nitric oxide

Adaptation to ambient light, which is an important characteristic of the vertebrate visual system, involves cellular and subcellular (synaptic) plasticity of the retina. The present study investigated dopamine (DA) and nitric oxide (NO) as possible neurochemical modulators controlling cone photomechanical movements (PMMs) and horizontal cell (HC) spinules in relation to steady and flickering light adaptation in the carp retina. Haloperidol (HAL; a nonspecific DA receptor blocker) or cPTIO (a NO scavenger) largely inhibited the cone PMMs and HC spinule formation induced by either steady or flickering light. These results suggested that both DA and NO could be involved in the light-adaptation changes induced by either pattern of input and that DA and NO effects may not be completely independent. The possibility that NO and DA interact serially was evaluated pharmacologically by cross-antagonist application (i.e., DA + cPTIO or NO + HAL). When a NO donor was coapplied with HAL to dark-adapted eyecups, normal light-adaptive cone PMMs and HC spinules occurred. In contrast, when DA was applied in the presence of cPTIO, the dark-adapted state persisted. It was concluded 1) that DA and NO are both light-adaptive neurochemicals, released in the retina during either steady or flickering light; 2) that the effects of DA and NO on light-adaptive cone PMMs and HC spinules do not occur in parallel; and 3) that NO and DA act mainly in series, specifically as follows: Light --> DA --> NO --> Cone PMMs + HC spinules.