VCAM1 and ischemia: Recent studies have demonstrated that treatment with inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) restores impaired cGMP signaling following ischemia, inhibits the expression of adhesion molecules such as ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, and reduces leukocyte-endothelial interactions and the upregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators in brain tissue, thereby significantly attenuating inflammation and secondary injury.