title: Measurement of the nitric oxide metabolites nitrate and nitrite in the human brain by microdialysis.
abstract: To examine the feasibility of measuring the nitric oxide (NO) metabolites nitrate and nitrite in microdialysate samples from the human brain, microdialysis probes were placed in normal appearing cerebral cortex of severely head injured patients in the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit at Ben Taub General Hospital. Nitrate/nitrite analysis was performed using NO chemiluminescence. Low micromolar levels of NO metabolites were consistently and easily detected. These levels seen are comparable to levels reported in CSF but tissue tortuosity and probe recovery considerations suggest that the absolute concentrations at the probe site are probably ten fold higher. Microdialysis with measurement of nitric oxide metabolites is technically feasible and may provide valuable insights into both normal neurochemistry and neurochemical derangements in disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: Y Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Valadka
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bryan
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017551:Microdialysis / Q000379:methods; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009569:Nitric Oxide