Expression and localization of c-Fos and NOS in the central nerve system following esophageal acid stimulation in rats

Table 1 Effects of esophageal acid-pepsin perfusion on c-Fos and NOS expression in brain nuclei, as determined by the average of number of c-Fos or NADPH-d positive neurons/section

Nuclei	Acid-pepsin perfusion			Saline perfusion
	c-Fos	NOS	c-Fos&NOS	c-Fos	NOS	c-Fos&NOS
AM	341.3 ± 13.7b	8.0 ± 2.0	1.7 ± 0.7	166.2 ± 2.7	6.5 ± 0.5	1.9 ± 0.4
PVN	551.1 ± 11.6b	151.8 ± 48.5b	127.6 ± 34.1b	232.2 ± 12.9	66.9 ± 1.5	64.1 ± 4.4
SON	181.0 ± 3.5	96.2 ± 2.4	66.0 ± 7.0	183.3 ± 5.8	95.3 ± 4.2	64.9 ± 2.1
PBN	103.0 ± 4.1b	17.1 ± 1.8b	2.9 ± 1.0b	79.7 ± 2.6	3.4 ± 0.6	1.1 ± 0.5
NTS/DMV	161.1 ± 6.9b	48.8 ± 6.8b	32.3 ± 4.7b	75.0 ± 0.8	23.7 ± 0.7	8.4 ± 1.5
NA	42.7 ± 0.8b	2.1 ± 0.4	1.0 ± 0.2	25.0 ± 1.5	2.0 ± 0.6	1.0 ± 0.2
RNM	77.4 ± 7.6b	15.1 ± 1.5b	7.6 ± 1.1b	32.9 ± 0.4	5.1 ± 0.5	1.9 ± 0.3
AP	190.1 ± 11.1b	6.0 ± 2.3b	2.3 ± 1.1a	107.2 ± 2.1	1.9 ± 0.6	0.9 ± 0.3

Data are expressed as mean ± SD.

^aP < 0.05, acid-pepsin perfusion vs saline perfusion.

^bP < 0.01, acid-pepsin perfusion vs saline perfusion. c-Fos, c-Fos positive neurons; NOS, NADPH-d positive neurons.