Cyanide loss from tissue baths in the presence and absence of tissue

Loss of cyanide from Krebs-Henseleit solution (KHS) was studied in aerated tissue baths at 38 degrees C in the presence and in the absence of tissue. The rate of cyanide loss was greater from 300-microM than from 30-microM solutions and still greater from 300-microM solutions in the presence of vascular tissue. Initial cyanide loss was much greater from the tissue-containing bath, and the half-time was shorter in the presence of tissue (54 min) than in its absence (98 min) in baths containing the same initial cyanide concentration (300 microM).