Sodium nitrite infusion improves regional blood flow in patients with sickle cell disease. Sodium nitrite was infused into the brachial arteries of 14 patients with SCD sequentially at 0.4, 4, and 40 μ mol/minute. (A) Absolute forearm blood flow increase was detected by venous occlusion strain gauge plethysmography. (B) These changes were even more prominent when calculated as percentage increase over baseline.²⁴