Cyanide intoxication--I. An oral chronic animal model.

The effects of oral chronic cyanide administration to mice were studied. Cyanide intoxication was confirmed by the increased levels of this poison and the concomitant inhibition of cytochrome oxidase activity in liver, brain, heart and blood. The detoxifying enzyme rhodanese was measured. The state of the sulfane sulfur pool was investigated by determination of the cyanide labile-sulfur levels. A clear correlation between rhodanese activity and sulfur content was obtained as a consequence of cyanide action. These results support the belief that rhodanese plays a fundamental role in the detoxification process of cyanide, in preventing cyanide reaching the target tissues.