Development of a method for determination of cyanide concentrations in serum and rumen fluid of cattle.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a reliable method for measurement of cyanide concentrations in cattle, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and establish reference ranges of cyanide concentrations in cattle.


METHODS
52 Fleckvieh cattle.


METHODS
Cattle were allocated to 3 groups; 12 were fed leguminous grass and hay, 36 were fed whole-maize and corn-cob silages, and 4 were fed other feedstuffs. Samples of blood, rumen fluid, and liver were collected at time of slaughter. Serum, rumen fluid, and liver homogenate were assayed for cyanide content, using a derivatization procedure. A technique for analysis by GC-MS that used selected ion monitoring was developed.


RESULTS
Compared with a spectrophotometric method, detection of cyanide in serum and rumen fluid by use of GC-MS was selective and sensitive, with a limit of detection of 0.7 microM. Spectrophotometric analysis yielded false-negative and false-positive results. Thus, the GC-MS method was used for subsequent analysis. In all cattle except 1, cyanide concentration ranged from < 0.7 to 35 microM in serum and from < 0.7 to 28 microM in rumen fluid; cyanide concentration in that 1 animal was 206 microM. Cattle fed clover, grass, grass hay, and clover hay had 8.3- to 8.6-fold higher mean cyanide concentrations in rumen fluid and serum than cattle fed whole-maize and corn-cob silages.


CONCLUSIONS
Results of this study suggest a reference range that should be useful for aiding in the diagnosis of cyanide poisoning. Also, cattle can apparently accommodate a serum cyanide concentration of 206 microM without adverse effects.
Meiser
H
H
Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, University of Munich, Germany.
Hagedorn
H W
HW
Schulz
R
R
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D003486:Cyanides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000662:veterinary; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000662:veterinary; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012417:Rumen / Q000737:chemistry*; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000662:veterinary
D003486:Cyanides