SODIUM NITRITE ALONE PROTECTS THE BRAIN MICROSOMAL CA2+-ATPASE AGAINST POTASSIUM CYANIDE-INDUCED NEUROTOXICITY IN RATS

The effect of a short-term oral administration of potassium cyanide (KCN) (200 ppm in diet) with or without sodium nitrite (NaNO2) pretreatment on rat brain microsomal Ca2± ATPase was investigated. The specific activity value of the enzyme significantly decreased (p<0.05) by 50% compared with control and by 63% for KCN-treated rats compared with KCN-treated rats pretreated with NaNO2. There was no significant difference at the h=0.05 level between the values obtained for the control and KCN-treated rats pretreated with NaNO2. These results show both that feeding lowers brain microsomal Ca2+-ATPase activity and that NaNO2 has a protective role (antidote function) in that respect.