Effects of prolonged cyanide and thiocyanate feeding in rats

Male weaning rats were fed a semipurified diet containing 10% casein; this diet restricted in methionine, vitamin B12, and iodine; or the complete and restricted diets supplemented with either 1500 ppm potassium cyanide or 2240 ppm potassium thiocyanate for 11.5 mo. There were no deaths or clinical signs of toxicity. Cyanide, but not thiocyanate, caused a consistent reduction in weight gain in the complete and restricted groups. Both cyanide and thiocyanate caused decreased thyroid gland activity in young rats, particularly in the restricted groups. Plasma thyroxine concentrations were maintained in the mature cyanide-treated rats, even though secretion rates were decreased. However, the mature thiocyanate-treated animals showed decreased plasma thyroxine concentrations, despite thyroid gland enlargement. Modest primary myelin degeneration in the spinal cord white matter was found in the restricted group and in rats receiving this diet supplemented with either cyanide or thiocyanate. The lesions did not resemble those of a vitamin B12 deficiency in appearance or those of acute cyanide intoxication in distribution. Because of tissue autolysis, it could not be determined whether these changes resulted from histotoxic anoxia or an alteration of oligodendroglial myelin metabolism.