Summary:We have investigated whether central inhibi tion of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) could modify the tis sue damage of focal cerebral ischemia produced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in rats. �-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was admin istered intracerebroventricularly at two doses 15 min prior to occlusion of the MCA, as well as 4 and 24 h following occlusion. After the injection of L-NAME, the catalytic activity of the constitutive NOS, considered to be mainly neuronal, was effectively suppressed in the sub cortical gray matter bilaterally, but not in the ischemic territory. Seven days after the MCA occlusion, the brains were evaluated for histopathologic damage. High-dose