Abstract
Summary
The effect of four components of laetrile (mandelonitrile, amygdalin, cyanide, and a neoamygdalin-amygdalin mixture) on guanylate cyclase activity in a variety of tissues was examined. Mandelonitrile and cyanide, which can be released from mandelonitrile, stimulated the activity of rat guanylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.2), an enzyme thought to be important in normal and abnormal cell growth, Amygdalin and neoamygdalin had no effect in these same tissues. The activation of guanylate cyclase by mandelonitrile was observed over the concentration range 0.001 to 3 mM, while cyanide stimulated the activity of guanylate cyclase in concentrations of 0.1 to 3 mM. Since many nitrosamine and nitrosamide carcinogens also stimulate guanylate cyclase activity, the present investigation suggests that possible carcinogenicity of laetrile used in man needs further study.
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