Identification of a by-product of nitric oxide synthase activity in human acute brain injury with in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Background And Purpose: Laboratory studies have been used to identify nitric oxide as a notable mediator in neuronal death after acute brain injury. To our knowledge, this has not previously been confirmed with in vivo study in humans. Our purpose was to seek in vivo evidence for the induction of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in human acute brain injury by using proton MR spectroscopy.