ScienceAugust 16, 2026

nitroprusside

NYE-troh-PRUH-side

Definition

A chemical compound used in medicine as a vasodilator to rapidly widen blood vessels and decrease blood pressure.

Etymology

Derived from a combination of the chemical components 'nitro' (from nitrogen) and 'prusside' (related to prussic acid, or hydrogen cyanide, from which the compound is derived).

In the news

Researchers used sodium nitroprusside as a control drug in their experiment to confirm that the observed energy drop in the brain was a specific feature of REM sleep rather than just a general response to increased blood flow.

Scientists uncover an energy paradox in the brain during REM sleep

Read the full article ↗

PsyPost

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