Cyanide Intoxication in Mice Through Different Routes and its Prophylaxis by α-Ketoglutarate

摘要

Antagonising effects of α-ketoglutarate （α-KG） could be attributed to complexing of the reactive nucleophile （CN-） to form cyanohydrin in cyanide intoxication. However, an enormous protection obtained could not be delineated on account of possible in situ binding of α-KG given intraperitoneally （i.p.） in mice to cyanide administered through the same route. The present study was designed to see the efficacy of α-KG alone or in combination with sodium nitrite （SN） and/or sodium thiosulfate （STS） in male mice exposed to cyanide administered through subcutaneous （s.c.） or inhalation route. A technique for generation of hydrogen cyanide （HCN） is also discussed. On the basis of protection index （PI）, defined here as the LD50 of cyanide in protected mice/LDs0 of cyanide in unprotected mice and survival time, STS+α-KG regimen was equipotent to the conventional SN+STS regimen. This is further substantiated by effect of α-KG in reducing plasma cyanide levels. The efficacy of α- KG remains undeterred