Assessment of Some Biochemical Parameters in Vitreous Humor of Rabbits Exposed to Sodium Cyanide

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess some biochemical parameters in the vitreous humor of Rabbits exposed to sodium cyanide.

Study Design: This study is an interventional study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at Animal House, Applied and Environmental Biology Department, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, between April 2020 and November 2020.

Methodology: A total of twelve (12) rabbits as indicated by Mead’s formula constituted the sample size. The study was divided into three groups including the control. 1 mg/kg sodium cyanide was administered to the rabbits orally in group one and vitreous humor was collected using standard procedure after thirty minutes. In group two the rabbits were put to death mechanically and 1 mg/kg sodium cyanide was administered to the rabbits after thirty minutes, vitreous humor was collected after thirty minutes using standard procedure. The rabbits in group three, control group, were put to death mechanically and nothing was given to the rabbits, then after thirty minutes vitreous humor was collected using standard procedure. Biochemical parameters investigated included vitreous glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, total proteins (TP), albumin (ALB), total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities. Data were expressed as mean ± SD. Statistical differences between groups were computed using Graph pad prism 7.0 version developed by Graph pad software, San Siago, Califonia, USA. Results were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and significance between groups was taken at p<.05.

Results: Vitreous biochemical results showed significant (p<.05) increase in levels of TC, LDL-C, AST, ALT, TB and CB in rabbits given 1 mg/kg sodium cyanide compared to control. Significant (p<.05) decrease in levels of glucose, TP and ALB were also observed. This study also revealed that there was no significant (p<.05) difference in biochemical results of rabbits given 1 mg/kg sodium cyanide thirty minutes after they were put to death mechanically compared to the control. It can be concluded that a lethal dose of sodium cyanide (1 mg/kg) may lead to alterations in vitreous biochemical parameters and this may enhance death differentiation due to sodium cyanide poisoning and other causes of death for example mechanical death.

Conclusion: The findings of this study support a central role for vitreous humor biochemistry in many postmortem forensic and pathological evaluations and it could also be used for death differentiation in sodium cyanide poisoning.