SODIUM-NITRITE ALONE PROTECTS THE BRAIN MICROSOMAL CA2-ATPASE AGAINSTPOTASSIUM CYANIDE-INDUCED NEUROTOXICITY IN RATS()

The effect of a short-term oral administration of potassium cyanide (K CN) (200 ppm in diet) with or without sodium nitrite (NaNO2) pretreatm ent on rat brain microsomal Ca2+/- ATPase was investigated. The specif ic 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 diffe rence at the h = 0.05 level between the values obtained for the contro l and KCN-treated rats pretreated with NaNO2. These results show both that feeding lowers brain microsomal Ca2+-ATPase activity and that NaN O2 has a protective role (antidote function) in that respect.