Reversal of Cerebral Vasospasm

It is not often that current research is featured in a popular novel. Carl Djerassi [231] wrote in 1998 a science-in-fiction book, NO, where the principal character, Renu Krishnan, a molecular biologist, discovers that salts formed by reacting certain nucleophiles with the bioregulatory agent nitric oxide (NO) can regenerate pharmacologically active NO on contact with body fluids and can treat erectile dysfunction. 

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Figure 11 Reversal of cerebral vasospasm by diazeniumdiolates. Panels (a)- d) show the results of injecting NO-releasing DETA/NO (structure in Figure 2) into the cerebrospinal fluid of a dog. Panel (a) shows the normal basilar artery. Lightening of the arteriogram indicative of severely restricted blood flow, the signature of a spastic vessel, is seen in (b). Panel (c) confirms that a 2-/xmol dose of DETA/NO restores blood flow in the affected vessel the photograph illustrates the dilation of the artery 1 h after DETA/NO was injected. Panel (d) shows the same artery 3 h after bolus intrathecal injection, demonstrating a lasting effect consistent with the compound s prolonged half-life for NO release. [Adapted from Reference 17 with permission.]...

Wolf EW, Banerjee A, Soble-Smith J, Do-han FC Jr, White RP, Robertson JT. 1998. Reversal of cerebral vasospasm using an in-trathecally administered nitric oxide donor. J. Neurosurg. 89 279-88... 

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