Bioavailability of iron and cyanide from 59Fe- and 14C-labelled hexacyanoferrates(II) in rats

"Soluble" (KFe(III)[Fe(II)(CN)6]) and "insoluble Prussian blue" (Fe(III)4[Fe(II)(CN)6]3 labelled with 59Fe either in the ferric (Fe(III)) or ferro (Fe(II)) position and 14C in the cyanide group were synthesized and administered intraperitoneally or orally to adult female rats with normal body iron stores. Following i.p. injection of KFe[Fe(CN)6], the colloidal complex is disintegrated into ferric iron and hexacyanoferrate(II) anion almost completely. About 96% of the ferric iron was retained in the body. Nearly 90% of both ferrous iron and cyanide were excreted with the urine within 7 days after i.p. injection, indicating that most of the undissociated hexacyanoferrate(II) anion ([Fe(CN)6]4-) was excreted through the kidney. Only 9% of the ferrous iron from [Fe(CN)6]4- was found mainly in carcass, liver and gut. As the 59Fe/14C-ratios in organs were found close to 1.0, the dissociation of the hexacyanoferrate(II) anion can only be small in vivo. No detectable 14CO2-activity (less than 0.01%) was monitored in the breath of rats after i.p. injection of the 14C-labelled KFe[Fe(CN)6], also indicating that no significant amounts of cyanide were released after parenteral administration. After oral administration of the soluble and insoluble Prussian blue, 0.3-0.7% of the ferric iron was absorbed and retained mainly in carcass, liver and blood. Only 0.06-0.18% of the ferrous iron was absorbed and mostly excreted with the urine (0.05-0.15%), so that only 0.01-0.03% of the oral ferrous 59Fe was retained in the body after 7-10 days. Very small fractions of 14C-label from the 14CN-group of the soluble and insoluble hexacyanoferrate(II) were observed in the exhaled air (0.04-0.08% of the oral dose). From the 14CO2-exhalation, the 14C-urine excretion and the distribution of iron in blood and organs it can be concluded that the hexacyanoferrate(II) moiety disintegrated only to a small extent in the intestinal tract after oral administration. From a dose of 36 mg hexacyanoferrate(II)/kg, an amount of free (non-complex bound) cyanide can be calculated which is in maximum two orders of magnitude below the LD100-level. Thus, the very low bioavailability of iron and cyanide from hexacyanoferrate(II) compounds after oral application is demonstrated in rats. In the case of a severe nuclear accident, appropriate doses of "soluble" and "insoluble" Prussian blue can be used as safe and effective antidote against radiocaesium contamination.