Improving corrosion resistance of additively manufactured WE43 magnesium alloy by high temperature oxidation for biodegradable applications

Laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)has been employed to additively manufacture WE43 magnesium(Mg)alloy biodegradable implants,but WE43 L-PBF samples exhibit excessively rapid corrosion.In this work,dense WE43 L-PBF samples were built with the relativity density reaching 99.9%.High temperature oxidation was performed on the L-PBF samples in circulating air via various heating temperatures and holding durations.The oxidation and diffusion at the elevated temperature generated a gradient structure composed of an oxide layer at the surface,a transition layer in the middle and the matrix.The oxide layer consisted of rare earth(RE)oxides,and became dense and thick with increasing the holding duration.The matrix was composed ofα-Mg,RE oxides and Mg_(24)RE_(5) precipitates.The precipitates almost disappeared in the transition layer.Enhanced passivation effect was observed in the samples treated by a suitable high temperature oxidation.The original L-PBF samples lost 40%weight after 3-day immersion in Hank’s solution,and broke into fragments after 7-day immersion.The casted and solution treated samples lost roughly half of the weight after 28-day immersion.The high temperature oxidation samples,which were heated at 525℃ for 8 h,kept the structural integrity,and lost only 6.88%weight after 28-day immersion.The substantially improved corrosion resistance was contributed to the gradient structure at the surface.On one hand,the outmost dense layer of RE oxides isolated the corrosive medium;on the other hand,the transition layer considerably inhibited the corrosion owing to the lack of precipitates.Overall,high temperature oxidation provides an efficient,economic and safe approach to inhibit the corrosion of WE43 L-PBF samples,and has promising prospects for future clinical applications.

CTAB-assisted fabrication of hierarchical flower-like magnesium oxide adsorbent for enhanced removal performance towards phosphate

In this work, a series of hierarchical flower-like magnesium oxide(MgO) adsorbents were successfully fabricated in a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB) assisted solvothermal route using hexamethylenetetramine(HMTA) as a precipitating agent. Effects of CTAB feeding amount on the structure, morphology, pore structure, and corresponding adsorption behavior were investigated. The hierarchical gardenias flower-like MgO demonstrated a surface area of 336.54 m^(2)·g^(-1) at a minimum ratio of the CTAB/Mg^(2+)was 0.02 in the reaction system. The hierarchical MgO phosphate removal capacity was 348.32 mg·g^(-1), which followed the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich isotherm model obtained from the large surface area and appropriate pore size. The value of n also suggests the feasible nature of phosphate adsorption under the examined conditions. Indeed, this CTAB assisted solvothermal method can provide a new understanding to tune the desired properties of a material by merely adjusting the reaction parameters of MgO.

Preparation and property of self-sealed plasma electrolytic oxide coating on magnesium alloy

Plasma electrochemical oxidation (PEO) is a surface modification technology to form ceramic coatings on magnesium alloys However,its application is limited due to its defects.This work reports a novel preparation of in-situ sealing of PEO coatings by four-layer voltage and sol addition.The morphology and structure were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM),energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS),and X-ray diffractometer (XRD).Image-Pro Plus 6.0 was used to determine the porosity of the coating,which was decreased from 8.53%to 0.51%.Simultaneously,the coating thickness was increased by a factor of four.The anti-corrosion performance of each sample was evaluated using electrochemical tests,and the findings revealed that the corrosion current density of coatings (i_(corr)) of the samples were lowered from 9.152×10^(-2) to 6.152×10^(-4) mA·cm^(-2),and the total resistance (R_(T)) of the samples were enhanced from 2.19×10^(4) to 2.33×10^(5)Ω·cm^(2).The salt spray test used to simulate the actual environment showed that corrosion points appeared on the surface of the coating only at the 336 h.In addition,the mechanism of PEO self-sealing behavior was described in this article.

Green synthesis of three-dimensional magnesium ferrite/titanium dioxide/reduced graphene from Garcinia mangostana extract for crystal violet photodegradation and antibacterial activity

In this study,three-dimensional porous magnesium ferrite/titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide(Mg Fe_2O_(4)-GM/TiO_(2)/rGO(MGTG))was successfully synthesized via green and hydrothermal-supported co-precipitation methods using the extract of Garcinia mangostana(G.mangostana)as a reducing agent.The characterization results indicate the successful formation of the nano/micro Mg Fe_(2)O_(4)(MFO)and TiO_(2) on the structure of the reduced graphene oxide(rGO),which can also act as efficient support,alleviating the agglomeration of the nano/micro MFO and TiO_(2).The synergic effects of the adsorption and photodegradation activity of the material were investigated according to the removal of crystal violet(CV)under ultraviolet light.The effects of catalyst dosage,CV concentration,and p H on the CV removal efficiency of the MGTG were also investigated.According to the results,the CV photodegradation of the MGTG-200 corresponded to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model.The reusability of the material after 10 cycles also showed a removal efficiency of 92%.This happened because the materials can easily be recollected using external magnets.In addition,according to the effects of different free radicals·O_(2)^(-),h^(+),and·OH on the photodegradation process,the photocatalysis mechanism of the MGTG was also thoroughly suggested.The antibacterial efficiency of the MGTG was also evaluated according to the inhibition of the Gram-positive bacteria strain Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus).Concurrently,the antibacterial mechanism of the fabricated material was also proposed.These results confirm that the prepared material can be potentially employed in a wide range of applications,including wastewater treatment and antibacterial activity.

Enhanced corrosion resistance of micro-arc oxidation coated magnesium alloy by superhydrophobic Mg-Al layered double hydroxide coating

To further enhance the corrosion resistance of the porous micro-arc oxidation(MAO) ceramic layers on AZ31 magnesium alloy, superhydrophobic Mg-Al layered double hydroxide(LDH) coating was fabricated on MAO-coated AZ31 alloy by using in-situ growth method followed by surface modification with stearic acid. The characteristics of different coatings were investigated by XRD, SEM and EDS. The effect of the hydrothermal treatment time on the formation of the LDH coatings was studied. The results demonstrated that the micro-pores and cracks of MAO coating were gradually sealed via in-situ growing LDH with prolonging hydrothermal treating time. Electrochemical measurement displayed that the lowest corrosion current density, the most positive corrosion potential and the highest impedance modulus were observed for superhydrophobic LDH/MAO coating compared with those of MAO coating and LDH/MAO coating. Immersion experiment proved that the superhydrophobic LDH/MAO coating with the active anti-corrosion capability significantly enhanced the long-term corrosion protection for MAO coated alloy.

Effect of current density on corrosion resistance of micro-arc oxide coatings on magnesium alloy

Oxide coatings were prepared on magnesium alloys in electrolyte solution of Na2SiO3 at different current densities(3,4 and 5 A/cm 2 )with micro-arc oxidation process.X-ray diffractometry(XRD)results show that the oxide coatings formed on magnesium alloys are mainly composed of MgO and MgAl2O4 phases;in addition,the content of MgO increases with increasing the current density.The morphology and surface roughness of the coatings were characterized by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).The results show that the surface roughness(Ra)decreases with increasing the current density.Moreover,the electrochemical corrosion results prove that the MgO coating produced in the electrolyte Na2SiO3 at current density of 5 A/cm 2 shows the best corrosion resistance.

Serum magnesium concentration in children with functional constipation treated with magnesium oxide

AIM:To determine whether hypermagnesemia recently reported in adult patients possibly develops in children with functional constipation taking daily magnesium oxide.METHODS:We enrolled 120 patients (57 male and 63 female) aged 1-14 years old (median:4.7 years) with functional constipation from 13 hospitals and two private clinics.All patients fulfilled the Rome Ⅲ criteria for functional constipation and were treated with daily oral magnesium oxide for at least 1 mo.The median treatment dose was 600 (500-800) mg/d.Patients were assessed by an interview and laboratory examination to determine possible hypermagnesemia.Serum magnesium concentration was also measured in sex-and agematched control subjects (n=38).RESULTS:In the constipation group,serum magnesium concentration [2.4 (2.3-2.5) mg/dL,median and interquartile range] was significantly greater than that of the control group [2.2 (2.0-2.2) mg/dL] (P < 0.001).The highest value was 3.2 mg/dL.Renal magnesium clearance was significantly increased in the constipation group.Serum magnesium concentration in the constipation group decreased significantly with age (P < 0.01).There was no significant correlation between the serum level of magnesium and the duration of treatment with magnesium oxide or the daily dose.None of the patients had side effects associated with hypermagnesemia.CONCLUSION:Serum magnesium concentration increased significantly,but not critically,after daily treatment with magnesium oxide in constipated children with normal renal function.

Mass Transfer and Reaction Kinetics in the Carbonization of Magnesium Oxide from Light Calcined Magnesia with Mechanical Force Enhancement

The carbonization of magnesium oxide particles by CO2 was investigated using a stirring mill reactor. The effects of the system temperature, stirring rotation speed, influx rate of CO2 and initial diameter of the magnesium oxide particles on the carbonization process were determined, The results show that the system temperature and the stirring rotation speed are the most significant influencing factors on the carbonization rate. The determi-nation of critical decomposition temperature (CDT) gives the maximum carbonization rate with other conditions fixed. A theoretical model involving mass transfer and reaction kinetics was presented for the carbonization process. The apparent activation energy was calculated to be 32.8kJ·mol-1. The carbonization process is co-controlled by diffusive mass transfer and chemical reaction. The model fits well with the experimental results.

Effects of Calcination Temperature of Boron-Containing Magnesium Oxide Raw Materials on Properties of Magnesium Phosphate Cement as a Biomaterial

A new magnesium phosphate bone cement （MPBC） was prepared as a byproduct of boroncontaining magnesium oxide （B-MgO） after extracting Li2CO3 from salt lakes. We analyzed the elementary composition of the B-MgO raw materials and the effects of calcination temperature on the performance of MPBC. The phase composition and microstructure of the B-MgO raw materials and the hydration products （KMgPO4.6H2O） of MPBC were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that ionic impurities and the levels of toxic elements were sufficiently low in B-MgO raw materials to meet the medical requirements for MgO （Chinese Pharmacopeia, 2O10 Edition） and for hydroxyapatite surgical implants （GB23101.1-2O08）. The temperature of B-MgO calcination had a marked influence on the hydration and hardening of MPBC pastes. Increasing calcination temperature prolonged the time required for the MPBC slurry to set, significantly decreased the hydration temperature, and prolonged the time required to reach the highest hydration temperature. However, the compressive strength of hardened MPBC did not increase with higher calcination temperatures. In the 900-1 000 ~C temperature range, the hardened MPBC had a higher compressive strength. Imaging analysis suggested that the setting time and the highest hydration temperature of MPBC pastes were dependent on the size and crystal morphology of the B-MgO materials. The production and microstructure compactness of KMgPOa＇6H2O, the main hydration product, determined the compressive strength.

Effect of Magnesium on Nitric Oxide Synthase of Neurons in Cortex during Early Period of Cerebral Ischemia

Summary: To investigate the effect of magnesium on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) of neurons in cortex during early cerebral ischemic period, a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was established. The results showed that the NOS activity of neurons in cortex was in- creased significantly at 15 min after MCAO, reached its peak at 30 min after MCAO and returned to normal levels at 60 min after MCAO. The NOS activity of neurons in the magnesium-treated group was decreased significantly as compared with that in the ischemic group at 15 min and 30 ruin after MCAO respectively. The results suggested that magnesium could inhibit the elevated NOS activity of neurons in cortex induced by cerebral ischemia.

Synthesis of cation exchange resin-supported iron and magnesium oxides/hydroxides composite for nitrate removal in water

In this study,we reported on the concept and practical use of cation exchange resin(CER)for removing anions in water via pretreating the CER with metal salts.The cation exchange resinsupported iron and magnesium oxides/hydroxides composite(FeMg/CER)was synthesized and introduced as a new and potential adsorbent for selective removal of nitrate ion in the water environment.Characteristics of FeMg/CER were determined by techniques such as Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,and Xray diffraction.The results showed that FeMg/CER material had a high nitrate adsorption capacity of 200 mg NO_(3)^()·g^(1)with a fast equilibrium adsorption time of 30 min at pH 5.In addition,it had good durability of at least 10 times of regeneration,which could be applied to practical water and wastewater treatment.

Tribological behaviors of graphene oxide partly substituted with nano-SiO_(2) as lubricant additives in water for magnesium alloy/steel interfaces

Although graphene oxide(GO)has emerged as an excellent lubricant additive in water,there remain great challenges in their practical application due to high production costs.By taking into account the low cost and also its excellent tribological properties,it is likely that nano-SiO_(2)can be used as a lubricant additive to partially replace GO.Hence,this paper aims to explore the tribological properties of nano-SiO_(2)incorporated in GO nanofluids for partial GO replacement by investigating the friction coefficient and wear volume of the prepared SiO_(2)/GO hybrid nanofluids for magnesium alloy/steel sliding pairs.The experiments reveal that the SiO_(2)/GO hybrids retain low friction coefficients as compared to individual GO or SiO_(2)at all test conditions in this study.However,as for the bearing capacity test,all samples can provide a low wear volume under the loads of 1 and 3 N.With the increase of the normal load,there is considerable differences in the anti-wear behavior.Compared with that of individual GO nanofluids,the wear volume of the GO/SiO_(2)(mass ratio of 0.3:0.2)hybrid nanofluids was reduced by50.5%at 5 N and by 49.2%at 8 N.Furthermore,the wear volume of the GO/SiO_(2)(mass ratio of 0.3:0.2)hybrid nanofluids was reduced by46.3%under the rigorous conditions,as compared to individual GO nanofluids.The findings provide new insights into developing carbon nanomaterial-based hybrid nanofluids for magnesium alloy formation.

Development of a novel electrolytic process for producing high-purity magnesium metal from magnesium oxide using a liquid tin cathode

The current electrolytic processes for magnesium(Mg)metal have several disadvantages,such as anhydrous magnesium chloride(MgCl_(2))preparation and generation of harmful chlorine(Cl_(2))gas.To overcome these drawbacks,a novel Mg production process to produce high-purity Mg metal directly from magnesium oxide(MgO)was investigated in this study.The electrolysis of MgO was conducted using a liquid tin(Sn)cathode and a carbon(C)anode in the eutectic composition of a magnesium fluoride(MgF_(2))-lithium fluoride(LiF)molten salt under an applied voltage of 2.5 V at 1053-1113 K.Under certain conditions,the Mg-Sn alloys with Mg_(2)Sn and Mg(Sn)phases were obtained with a current efficiency of 86.6%at 1053 K.To produce high-purity Mg metal from the Mg-Sn alloy,vacuum distillation was conducted at 1200-1300 K for a duration of 5-10 h.Following the vacuum distillation,the concentration of Mg in the Mg-Sn alloy feed decreased from 34.1 to 0.17 mass%,and Mg metal with a purity of 99.999%was obtained at 1200 K.Therefore,the electrolytic process developed here is feasible for the production of high-purity Mg metal from MgO using an efficient method.

Characterization of oxide films formed on magnesium alloys using bipolar pulse microarc oxidation in phosphate solutions

The surface morphology and chemical composition of the oxide films formed on pure magnesium and AZ91D alloy in aqueous electrolytes which contained sodium hexafluorinealuminate（Na3AlF6）, potassium hydroxide （KOH）, sodium hexametahposphate（（NaPO3）6）, and triethanolamine were investigated by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscope（SEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDX）. The results show that the input of the negative pulse has great influences on the quantity and the appearance of the microdischarges. Three types of pores can be distinguished on the surface of the oxide film and their size ranges are 0.5-1μm, 1-2μm and 4-7μm, respectively. A few microcracks are seen around the large pores. There exists a remarkable fluoride- enriched zone of about 4-6μm for pure magnesium and 3-5μm for AZ91D alloy at the coating/substrate interface.

A tightly bonded reduced graphene oxide coating on magnesium alloy with photothermal effect for tumor therapy

Photothermal therapy becomes a hotspot in the treatment of bone tumors. Magnesium and its alloys are regarded as potential bone implants for their favorable mechanical property and biodegradable in vivo. However, there is few research devoted to fabricating a photothermal coating on Mg alloy. In the present study, reduced graphene oxide coating with a strong photothermal effect was prepared on the surface of AZ31via two steps. Firstly, graphene oxide coating was deposited on the surface via electrophoresis deposited(GO#), followed by a reduction process of the graphene oxide coating in ultrapure water(rGO#). GO# and rGO# coatings were characterized by SEM, Raman, XRD, FTIR,and XPS. The results revealed that, compared with GO# coating, the content of oxygen-containing(C-O/C-O-C, C=O, O-C=O) groups on rGO# coating was significantly decreased. rGO# coating was found tightly adhered to AZ31 substrate. According to the first-principles calculations, the well-bonded heterostructure between MgO and rGO is the main reason for the strong bonding force. Moreover, the prepared rGO# coating showed a superior photothermal effect, which brings a new strategy to the treatment of bone tumors with Mg-based implants.

Pediatric bowel preparation: Sodium picosulfate, magnesium oxide, citric acid vs polyethylene glycol, a randomized trial

BACKGROUND Bowel preparation in children can be challenging.AIM To describe the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of sodium picosulfate, magnesium oxide, and citric acid(SPMC) bowel preparation in children.METHODS Phase 3, randomized, assessor-blinded, multicenter study of low-volume, divided dose SPMC enrolled children 9-16 years undergoing elective colonoscopy. Participants 9-12 years were randomized 1:1:1 to SPMC ? dose × 2, SPMC 1 dose × 2, or polyethylene glycol(PEG). Participants 13-16 years were randomized 1:1 to SPMC 1 dose × 2 or PEG. PEG-based bowel preparations were administered per local protocol. Primary efficacy endpoint for quality of bowel preparation was responders(rating of ‘excellent' or ‘good') by modified Aronchick Scale. Secondary efficacy endpoint was participant's tolerability and satisfaction from a 7-item questionnaire. Safety assessments included adverse events(AEs) and laboratory evaluations.RESULTS 78 participants were randomized, 48 were 9-12 years, 30 were 13-16 years. For the primary efficacy endpoint in 9-12 years, 50.0%, 87.5%, and 81.3% were responders for SPMC ? dose × 2, SPMC 1 dose × 2, and PEG groups, respectively. Responder rates for 13-16 years were 81.3% for SPMC 1 dose × 2 and 85.7% for PEG. Overall, 43.8% of participants receiving SPMC 1 dose × 2 reported it was ‘very easy' or ‘easy' to drink, compared with 20.0% receiving PEG. Treatment-emergent AEs were reported by 45.5% of participants receiving SPMC 1 dose × 2 and 63.0% receiving PEG.CONCLUSION SPMC was an efficacious and safe for bowel preparation in children 9-16 years, with comparable efficacy to PEG. Tolerability for SPMC was higher compared to PEG.

Cr(Ⅲ) removal from simulated solution using hydrous magnesium oxide coated fly ash： Optimization by response surface methodology (RSM)

Hydrous magnesium oxide coated fly ash （MFA） has environmental remediation potential by providing a sub- strate for the adsorption of aqueous Cr（Ⅲ）. Aqueous Cr（Ⅲ） adsorption onto MFA was examined as a function of MFA dosage, pH and initial Cr（Ⅲ） concentration with the Box-Behnken approach used for experimental design and optimization using response surface methodology （RSM）. pH and dosage （dosage and concentration） have significant interactive effects on Cr（Ⅲ） adsorption efficiency. Analysis of variance shows that the response surface quadratic model is highly significant and can effectively predict the experimental outcomes. Cr（Ⅲ） removal effi- ciency of 98% was obtained using optimized conditions of MFA dosage, pH and initial Cr（Ⅲ） concentration of 1,5 7 g. L- 1, 4.11 and 126 mg. L- 1, respectively. Cr（Ⅲ） adsorption onto MFA is mainly attributed to the interaction between Or（Ⅲ） and the functional group --OH of the hydrous magnesium oxide, in all probability caused by chemisorptions. The results of this study can conduce to reveal the interactions between Cr（Ⅲ） pollutant and MFA characteristics, posing important implications for the cost-effective alternative adsorption technology in the treatment of heavy metal containing wastewater.

Oxidation behavior and improvement in nonflammability of LPSO-type Mg–Zn–Y–Sr alloy

Mg_(97)Zn_(1)Y_(2)alloys with high ignition temperatures were developed by adding Sr.The addition of Sr resulted in the formation of a uniform and thin Y_(2)O_(3)film.Mg–Zn–Y alloys containing at least 0.25 at.%Sr exhibited ignition temperatures of 1270–1320 K.As a result of EDS measurement,Sr was found to be concentrated in the Y_(2)O_(3)film.In addition,a mixed film of MgO and Sr O formed on the outer layer in the 1.5 at.%Sr-containing Mg_(97)Zn_(1)Y_(2)alloy.These findings suggest that the uniform and thin Y_(2)O_(3)film that maintains high soundness at high temperatures was formed owing to valence control and the formation of a protective outer oxide film.

Effects of cooling rate on the microstructure and properties of magnesium alloy-a review

Magnesium alloy is one of the most widely used lightweight structural materials,and the development of high strength-toughness magnesium alloy is an important research field at present and even in the future.The preparation process parameters of magnesium alloy directly affect the microstructure of the magnesium alloy,and then determine the properties of the magnesium alloy.The cooling rate has important effects on the microstructure and properties of the magnesium alloy,and is an important preparation process parameter that cannot be ignored.Both the cooling rate from liquid phase to solid phase and the cooling rate of the magnesium alloy after heat treatment will change the microstructure of the magnesium alloy.Furthermore,the properties of magnesium alloy will be affected.In this paper,the effects of cooling rate on the solidification behavior,the rheological behavior,the change of microstructure(the solid solution of alloying elements in matrix,the composition,size,distribution and morphology of second phase,the diffusion and segregation of alloying elements,the grain size,the formation and morphology of dendrite,etc.),and the effects of cooling rate of magnesium alloy after heat treatment on the microstructure and stress distribution are reviewed.The reasons for the divergence about the influence of cooling rate on the microstructure of magnesium alloy are analyzed in detail.The effects of cooling rate on the mechanical properties,corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance of magnesium alloy are also analyzed and discussed deeply.Finally,the new methods and approaches to study the effects of cooling rate on the microstructure and properties of magnesium alloy are prospected.

Interventional effect of magnesium sulfate on nitric oxide synthase activity after acute craniocerebral injury

BACKGROUND： Abnormal changes in magnesium ion are closely related to cerebral injury. At present, some evidence indicates that magnesium reagent can improve nerve function and prognosis of patients with cerebral injury. OBJECTIVE： To observe the effect of magnesium sulfate on changes in nitric oxide synthase （NOS） activity in brain tissue of rats with acute craniocerebral injury. DESIGN： Completely randomized grouping design and randomly controlled study. SETTING： Laboratory of Neurosurgery, the Third Hospital of Chinese PLA. MATERIALS： Fifty-four male SD rats of clean grade and weighing 220 - 250 g were randomly divided into normal control group （n =6）, cerebral injury group （n =24） and magnesium sulfate group （n =24）. Especially, rats in cerebral injury group and magnesium sulfate group were equally divided into four subgroups and observed at 0.5, 2, 6 and 24 hours after model establishment. A solution of 125 g/L of magnesium sulfate was provided by the Seventh Pharmaceutical Factory of Wuxi and the NOS assay kit by Nanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering Institute. METHODS： The experiment was carried out in the Institute of Neurosurgery, the Third Hospital of Chinese PLA from August 2000 to August 2002. ① Rats in the cerebral injury group and magnesium sulfate group were anesthetized to establish cerebral injury models based on modified Feeney technique; magnesium sulfate group were intraperitoneally injected 600 mg/kg magnesium sulfate （125 g/L）, but rats in the normal control group remained untreated. ② At 0.5, 2, 6 and 24 hours after cerebral injury, rats in cerebral injury group and magnesium sulfate group were decapitated and brains were dissected. Cerebral cortex of rats in cerebral injury group was selected for NOS assay; in addition, at 0.5 hour after cerebral injury, a portion of the parietal lobe was selected from the brains of rats in the normal control group. Brain samples were homogenized, the homogenated centrifuged and the supernatants were used to measure NOS activity with NOS kit. ③ Differences among the three groups were compared with t test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： NOS activity in cerebral cortex of rats in each group. RESULTS： A total of 54 SD rats were involved in the final analysis. At 0.5 hour after cerebral injury, NOS activity in cerebral cortex was （42.45 ± 13.46） nmol/L in cerebral injury group and （41.17 ± 12.53） nmol/L in magnesium sulfate group, respectively, which was higher than that in normal control group [（39.45 ± 11.84） nmol/L, P 〈 0.05]. At 2 hours after cerebral injury, NOS activities were （66.48 ±21.43） and （63.24 ± 19.18） umol/L, respectively, while at 6 hours after cerebral injury, NOS activities were （62.45 ± 24.18） and （51.97 ±20.46） nmol/L, respectively, which were higher than those in normal control group （P 〈 0.0 1）. At 24 hours after cerebral injury, NOS activity returned to basal level. Moreover, NOS activity was significantly lower in the magnesium sulfate group than that in the cerebral injury group at 2 and 6 hours after cerebral injury （P 〈 0.05, 0.01）.CONCLUSION： NOS activity is increased in injured brain tissue of rats with craniocerebral injury, and treatment with magnesium sulfate provides some degrees of protection possibly through inhibition of NOS activity after cerebral injury.