Intoxication by Cyanide in Pregnant Sows: Prenatal and Postnatal Evaluation.

André T Gotardo,Silvana L Górniak,Helena Manzano,Isis M Hueza,Viviane M Maruo,Paulo C Maiorka

doi:10.1155/2015/407654

André T Gotardo, Silvana L Górniak + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/407654

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Abstract

Cyanide is a ubiquitous chemical in the environment and has been associated with many intoxication episodes; however, little is known about its potentially toxic effects on development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal exposure to potassium cyanide (KCN) during pregnancy on both sows and their offspring. Twenty-four pregnant sows were allocated into four groups that orally received different doses of KCN (0.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 mg/kg of body weight) from day 21 of pregnancy to term. The KCN-treated sows showed histological lesions in the CNS, thyroid follicle enlargement, thyroid epithelial thickening, colloid reabsorption changes, and vacuolar degeneration of the renal tubular epithelium. Sows treated with 4.0 mg/kg KCN showed an increase in the number of dead piglets at birth. Weaned piglets from all KCN-treated groups showed histological lesions in the thyroid glands with features similar to those found in their mothers. The exposure of pregnant sows to cyanide thus caused toxic effects in both mothers and piglets. We suggest that swine can serve as a useful animal model to assess the neurological, goitrogenic, and reproductive effects of cyanide toxicosis.

Highlights

Cyanide is a ubiquitous chemical in the environment and has been associated with many intoxication episodes in human and animals
We have previously demonstrated that the pig is a useful animal model for assessing chronic cyanide toxicity [31], and others have found it suitable for reproductive toxicology studies [41, 42]
In a previous study in our lab, where cyanide was administered to growing pigs during the same period evaluated here, we found Purkinje cell degeneration and loss of cerebellar white matter in all groups treated with KCN [31]

Summary

Introduction

Cyanide is a ubiquitous chemical in the environment and has been associated with many intoxication episodes in human and animals. Considering only United States, it is produced 300,000 t of this substance, a year, to feed their industries of electroplating, paper, and plastic and in the extraction of gold [4]. This ion is present in tobacco smoke [5], and smoke inhalation is a common cause of cyanide poisoning during fires [6]. (cassava), Linum sp., Lotus sp., Phaseolus lunatus, and Sorghum sp., contain cyanogenic glycosides that release cyanide The concentration of this substance can be as high as 100–800 mg/kg of plant material [3, 8]

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