Therefore, the development of antidotes is crucial, and it’s nice to know that a likely candidate is already on the drugstore shelf,” said Dr Gerald Weissmann, Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal.īibliographic information: Anjali K. Cyanide exposure also occurs through smoke inhalation, industrial accidents, acts of war, and even as an unwanted byproduct of useful drugs. “Lottery winners are not the only ones who have to worry about cyanide poisoning. Treat the person as follows, depending on whether cyanide was inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin: 1. The study also identified new biomarkers that indicate cyanide exposure and may be clinically useful for the diagnosis of cyanide exposure and the development of antidotes. If you are not sure it is cyanide, call Poison Control at 80. The synergy resulting from treatment of cyanide poisoning with the combination of sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate is the result of differences in their primary mechanisms of action as antidotes for cyanide poisoning. Many of the effects in zebrafish matched those seen in rabbits and humans, confirming that the zebrafish could be used as a model of human cyanide exposure.įrom there, the researchers systematically tested thousands of known drugs to see if any of them could protect the zebrafish from cyanide toxicity and found four drugs, including riboflavin. In massive acute cyanide poisoning, the mechanism of toxicity may involve other enzyme systems as well. The effects in zebrafish were then compared to the effects of cyanide on rabbits and humans. The chemical changes that occurred were measured using a mass spectrometer. To make the discovery, the team exposed zebrafish to cyanide and measured the effects on their behavior, heart rate and survival. Hopefully, the cyanide biomarkers and antidotes we discover with the help of zebrafish can one day improve our ability to diagnose and treat humans affected by cyanide poisoning,” said lead author Dr Randall Peterson from the Harvard Medical School in Boston. “We are encouraged to see that many of the effects of cyanide on zebrafish mirror the effects on humans. Anyone who suspects cyanide poisoning should not attempt to use riboflavin as an antidote, and instead contact local poison control centers or emergency health services immediately.” “As with any research involving animal models, these findings are preliminary until thoroughly tested in clinical trials. The study, reported in the FASEB Journal, also shows that zebrafish are a viable model for investigating the effects of cyanide on humans. The inset shows riboflavin powder (Fraser B et al / Patrícia R / CC BY-SA 3