Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase desensitizes retinal ganglion cells to light by diminishing their excitatory synaptic currents under light adaptation

The effect of inhibiting nitric oxide synthase (NOS) on the visual responses of mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was studied under light adaptation by using patch-clamp recordings. The results demonstrated that NOS inhibitor, l-NAME, reduced the sensitivity of RGCs to light under light adaptation at different ambient light conditions. These observations were seen in all cells that recordings were made from. l-NAME diminished the excitatory synaptic currents (EPSCs), rather than increasing the inhibitory synaptic currents, of RGCs to reduce the sensitivity of RGCs to light. Cones may be the sites that l-NAME acted to diminish the EPSCs of RGCs.