[Influence of nitric oxide upon cerebral infarction in 15 cases]

To study the role of the nitric oxide(NO) in patients with cerebral infarction, NO in cerebrospinal fluid was determined in cerebral infarction group(15 cases) and control group(10 cases). Infarct volume was determined by CT between the second and the 7th day after the onset of symptoms. The severity of neurological deficits was assessed with the stroke scale of Ministry of Public Healthy(China). The results showed that NO was higher in cerebral infarction group (3.12 +/- 1.60) than that in control group(1.19 +/- 1.01) (P < 0.01). The concentration of NO was positively correlated with infarction volume(r = 0.57, P < 0.05) and severity of neurological of deficits(r = 0.54, P < 0.05), respectively. The results support the conclusion that NO produced in large amounts in the postischemic tissue contributes to the progression of the brain damage, which was demonstrated in animal models of focal cerebral ischemia.