Effect of cyanoketone on digitoxin-induced mortality and hepatic mixed function oxidases in rats

Cyanoketone pretreatment protected female rats against digitoxin-induced mortality. Cyanoketone also acts as an inducer of hepatic mixed function oxidases, increasing cytochrome P-450 content and enhancing aniline hydroxylase and aminopyrine demethylase activities. The protective effect of cyanoketone against digitoxin toxicity may be due to the enhanced conversion of the glycoside to more polar metabolites which are more readily excretable.