INFLUENCE OF CYANOGENIC GLUCOSIDE FRACTION OF CASSAVA ON PERFORMANCE, THIOCYANATE CONCENTRATION AND RHODANESE ACTIVITY OF RATS DURING GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION

FEEDING of fresh and dried cassava (CMC 84 variety) containing 172.6 and 90.6mg FICN/Kg fresh material respectively caused a non-significant (P > 0.05) increase in daily feed intake as com­pared to a corn starch control diet. Growth rate of suckling rats was least on the fresh cassava diet and intermediate on the dried cassava diet. Post weaning feed consumption, growth rate and feed utilization were also considerably reduced by the cassava diets .The fresh cassava diet caused a significant (P < 0.01) increase in serum thiocyanate of Weaning Rats. At the end of the post-weaning growth study period, serum thiocyanate was significantly (P < 0.01) higher on both the fresh and dried cassava diets. Rhodanese activity changes did not show any consistent treatment effect.

Validation of a Thiocyanate Method on the Shimadzu UV-1800 Spectrophotometer

Objectives Sodium nitroprusside is used in treatment of hypertensive emergency. In the body, nitroprusside is metabolized to cyanide and cyanide to thiocyanate. Thiocyanate concentration is used to monitor nitroprusside therapy and to evaluate possible exposure to cyanide. A method validation study was performed to assess analytical performance of a new spectrophotometry-based laboratory-developed test for serum thiocyanate. Methods Serum proteins were precipitated using trichloroacetic acid and ferric nitrate. The resulting red-colored solution was measured spectrophotometrically at 450 nm using the Shimadzu UV-1800 spectrophotometer (Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Columbia, MD). Method precision, linearity, method comparison, and effect of interferences were evaluated according to Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute guidelines. The Microsoft Excel Analyze-It application was used for statistical analysis. Results Between-run coefficients of variation (CVs) for quality control materials at thiocyanate concentrations of 5 mg/L, 20 mg/L, and 50 mg/L were 9.64%, 6.26%, and 4.25%, respectively. The assay was linear over the analytical measuring range of 5 mg/L to 200 mg/L, with an r2 value of 0.9982. The Deming regression equation for the UV-1601 (comparator) and UV-1800 (new) method was: UV-1800 = 0.998 (95% CI, 0.9762-1.001) UV-1601 + 0.79 (95% CI, –0.1379 to 1.733), and the standard error of the regression was 1.8 mg/L. Interference of <7% was observed in the presence of hemolysis, icterus, and lipemia. Conclusion The analytical performance of the new Shimadzu UV-1800 spectrophotometer method is adequate for measurement of serum thiocyanate in patients on nitroprusside therapy or with cyanide poisoning.

Effect of thiocyanate ingestion through milk on thyroid hormone homeostasis in women

A thyroid-hormonal evaluation of thirty-five women consuming commercially packed milk containing thiocyanate was carried out. The mean serum thiocyanate concentration, which was measured by the FeCl3colour test, was significantly higher (P< 0.01) than that of control subjects. Serum thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations of exposed women were compared with those of thirty-five control subjects. Thiocyanate ingestion was associated with lower levels of T4(P<0.01) and higher levels of TSH (P< 0.01) compared with the control subjects. T3was found to be higher in the women consuming thiocyanate-containing milk but the difference was not significant. The serum T4level was found to be negatively correlated (r−0.359,P<0.05) while the TSH level was positively correlated (r0.354,P< 0.05) with thiocyanate concentration in the exposed group. From this study, it appears that ingestion of milk with added thiocyanate impairs thyroid function.

Natural history and risk factors for early human atherogenesis. Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) Research Group

A multi-institutional study, Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY), was initiated to document the natural history of atherosclerosis, its relationship to risk factors, and the pathobiology of lesion development in young subjects. Pathology laboratories in nine centers collected arteries and tissues from &gt; 2000 persons, ages 15-34 years, whose deaths were attributed to homicides, accidents, or suicides. Arteries were evaluated for lesions, and risk factors were analyzed in a central laboratory. Postmortem risk factors include serum lipoproteins, serum thiocyanate (smoking), glycohemoglobin (diabetes), thickness of panniculus adiposus (obesity), changes in small renal arteries (hypertension), and apoprotein isoforms. This PDAY study documents the development of atherosclerosis at an early age and shows that the recognized risk factors for coronary heart disease are associated with lesion development in the arteries of these young subjects. The findings provide a strong justification for reducing risk factors in young persons.