title: Effects of low cobalamin diet and chronic cyanide toxicity on cobalamin distribution in baboons.
abstract: This paper reports the bodily distribution of total cobalamin and individual cobalamins at the termination of an experiment on the effects of a low cobalamin diet and chronic cyanide or thiocyanate administration in baboons. The results show that the distribution of cobalamins in the tissues of the baboon can be altered by a low cobalamin diet and also by chronic intoxication with cyanide, whether or not the animals are on a low cobalamin diet. All animals on the low cobalamin diet showed a reduction in total and individual cobalamins. In blood plasma and erythrocytes, kidney, spleen, testis and brain, the proportion of methylcobalamin tended to be disproportionately reduced in cobalamin-depleted animals. This reduction was lessened or prevented by the administration of cyanide. Neither cyanide not thiocyanate produced a significant increase in the proportion of cyanocobalamin in plasma, though thiocyanate produced a large increase in cyanocobalamin in erythrocytes. In liver, cyanocobalamin was more than doubled by the administration of cyanide to cobalamin-depleted animals.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003486:Cyanides / Q000506:poisoning*; D004032:Diet; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D000882:Haplorhini; D010215:Papio; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D014805:Vitamin B 12