Detection of Nitrous Oxide in the Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Reaction by Gas Chromatography-mass Spectrometry

Using headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we detected significant amounts of nitrous oxide in the reaction products of the monooxygenase reaction catalyzed by neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Nitrous oxide is a dimerization product of nitroxyl anion; its presence in the reaction products indicates that the nitroxyl anion is a product of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase-catalyzed reaction.