Computer Simulation Lends New Insights Into Cyanide-Caused Cardiac Toxicity

Abstract : The development of antidotes against cyanide (CN) poisoning for the protection of the warfighter is still hampered by a lack of detailed understanding of the modulation of CN-affected cellular processes. Advances in high-performance computer technology and algorithms now enable computational models of the cellular processes on the newest high performance scalable computers, for the first time, to furnish many of the sought-after answers and complement animal studies. A mathematical model of the electrophysiology of cardiac tissue with initial and boundary conditions based on experimental data from studies using CN as metabolic blockers from the literature, was used to simulate changes in the electrical activity of the heart due to the effect of the presence of CN. Emphasis was on the modulation of ion concentrations in the cells, changes in current magnitudes and the activation of currents that are dormant under normal circumstances.