COMBINATIONS OF NITRIC OXIDE AND SULFIDE AND METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF

1 . A method of reducing a cytotoxic effect of nitric oxide in a biological matter, comprising administering to the biological matter nitric oxide in combination with sulfide.

2 . A method of reducing a cytotoxic effect of sulfide in a biological matter, comprising administering to the biological matter sulfide in combination with nitric oxide.

3 - 4 . (canceled)

5 . The method of claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein said nitric oxide is administered as a gas and said sulfide is administered as a liquid.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein said nitric oxide and said sulfide are administered concurrently.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said sulfide is administered prior to administration of said nitric oxide.

9 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said nitric oxide is administered prior to administration of said sulfide.

10 . A method of treating or preventing a respiratory, cardiovascular, pulmonary, or blood disease or disorder, a tumor, an infection, inflammation, shock, sepsis, or stroke, in a patient, comprising administering to a patient an effective amount of nitric oxide in combination with sulfide.

11 . A method of preventing or reducing injury to, or enhancing survivability of, a biological material exposed to ischemic or hypoxic conditions, comprising contacting the biological material with an effective amount of sulfide in combination with nitric oxide.

12 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the ischemic or hypoxic conditions result from an injury to the biological material, the onset or progression of a disease that adversely affects the biological material, or hemorrhaging of the biological material, and wherein the biological material is contacted with sulfide and nitric oxide before the injury, before the onset or progression of the disease, or before hemorrhaging of the biological material.

16 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the biological material is selected from the group consisting of cells, tissues, organs, organisms, and mammals.

19 - 27 . (canceled)

28 . A device for the metered coadministration of nitric oxide and sulfide to a patient, characterized by a gas feed system including a first line feeding nitric oxide, a second line feeding sulfide, a shut-off valve in the first line, a shut-off valve in the second line, wherein the first and second lines are in flow communication with a third line, whereby upon opening both shut-off valves to open flow nitric oxide and sulfide may flow through the first and second lines and into the third line, where they are mixed, and a device for delivering the resulting mixture of nitric oxide and sulfide to the patient, wherein said device is in flow communication with the third line.

29 . The device of claim 28 , further comprising a fourth line feeding air and a shut-off valve in the fourth line, wherein the fourth line is in flow communication with the third line, whereby upon opening all shut-off valves to open flow nitric oxide, sulfide, and air may flow through the first, second, and third lines and into the third line, where they are mixed.

30 - 32 . (canceled)

33 . The method of any one of claim 1 , 2 , 10 , or 11 , wherein the administering or contacting is performed intravenously, intradermally, intraarterially, intraperitoneally, intralesionally, intracranially, intraarticularly, intraprostaticaly, intrapleurally, intratracheally, intranasally, intrathecally, intravitreally, intravaginally, intrarectally, topically, intratumorally, intramuscularly, intraperitoneally, intraocularly, subcutaneously, subconjunctival, intravesicularlly, mucosally, intrapericardially, intraumbilically, intraocularally, orally, topically, locally, by inhalation, by injection, by infusion, by continuous infusion, by localized perfusion, via a catheter, or via a lavage.

34 - 73 . (canceled)

74 . A method of preparing a composition of nitric oxide and sulfide suitable for administration to an animal, comprising:

a) saturating nitric oxide gas in a liquid;

b) dissolving an aqueous solution of deoxygenated water and HS − , wherein the aqueous solution has an oxygen content less than or equal to 5 μM, into the composition resulting from step (a); and

c) adjusting the pH of the composition resulting from step (b) to a pH in the range of 6.5 to 8.5, 7.3 to 7.6, 5.0 to 9.0, 6.0 to 8.5, or 7.0 to 8.0 by adding hydrogen chloride or sodium hydroxide, thereby producing a liquid composition of nitric oxide and sulfide suitable for administration to an animal.

75 - 81 . (canceled)

82 . The method of claim 74 , further comprising adjusting the osmolarity of the composition resulting from step (c) to an osmolarity in the range of 250-350 mOsmol/L.

83 - 85 . (canceled)

86 . The method of claim 74 , wherein the oxygen content of the composition is less than or equal to 5 μM for about six months.

87 - 88 . (canceled)

89 . The method of claim 74 , wherein said HS − is made by dissolving in water a compound selected from the group consisting of: H 2 S, Na 2 S, NaHS, K 2 S, KHS. Rb 2 S, CS 2 S, (NH 4 ) 2 S, (NH 4 )HS, BeS, MgS, CaS, SrS, and BaS and hydrates thereof.

90 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the ischemic or hypoxic conditions results from stroke or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.