title: Quantification of expired metabolites following potassium cyanide administration: a new method.
abstract: A sensitive and specific radiolabel method for measuring expired hydrogen cyanide (HCN) or carbon dioxide (CO2) derived from cyanide was developed. An ethanol collecting solution containing a 10(-2) M of cobalt chloride trapped 88% of the H14CN passed through the solution following acid volatilization of a known amount of K14CN. The range of linearity, r = 0.998, exceeded the 0.01 to 0.1 mumoles tested for measuring the pulmonary metabolites. The cobalt chloride collecting solution trapped less than 0.02% of the 10 to 100 mumoles of 14CO2 generated by acid hydrolysis of 14C-sodium bicarbonate (NaH14CO3). Introduction of a second collecting solution specific for CO2, composed of ethanol: ethanolamine (2:1, v/v), was used to collect the CO2 derived from cyanide. Following the subcutaneous (sc) administration of 4.6 mg/kg of potassium cyanide (KCN) and 4.5 microcuries (microCi) K14CN, 1 to 2% and 2 to 3% of the dose was expired as H14CN and 14CO2, respectively.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Isom
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001944:Breath Tests; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D003035:Cobalt / Q000032:analysis; D003486:Cyanides / Q000378:metabolism*; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011190:Potassium Cyanide / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide; D003035:Cobalt; C018021:cobaltous chloride; D011190:Potassium Cyanide