Editing Nitrite (section)

=== Antidote for cyanide poisoning===
Nitrites in the form of [[sodium nitrite]] and [[amyl nitrite]] are components of many [[cyanide]] [[antidote]] kits.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Meillier |first1=Andrew |last2=Heller |first2=Cara |date=2015 |title=Acute Cyanide Poisoning: Hydroxocobalamin and Sodium Thiosulfate Treatments with Two Outcomes following One Exposure Event |journal=Case Reports in Medicine |volume=2015 |pages=217951 |doi=10.1155/2015/217951 |issn=1687-9627 |pmc=4620268 |pmid=26543483|doi-access=free }}</ref> Both of these compounds bind to [[hemoglobin]] and oxidize the Fe<sup>2+</sup> ions to Fe<sup>3+</sup> ions forming [[methemoglobin]]. Methemoglobin, in turn, binds to cyanide (CN), creating cyanmethemoglobin, effectively removing cyanide from the [[complex IV]] of the [[electron transport chain]] (ETC) in [[Mitochondrion|mitochondria]], which is the primary site of disruption caused by cyanide. Another mechanism by which nitrites help treat cyanide toxicity is the generation of [[nitric oxide]] (NO). NO displaces the CN from the [[cytochrome c oxidase]] (ETC complex IV), making it available for methemoglobin to bind.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bebarta |first1=Vikhyat S. |last2=Brittain |first2=Matthew |last3=Chan |first3=Adriano |last4=Garrett |first4=Norma |last5=Yoon |first5=David |last6=Burney |first6=Tanya |last7=Mukai |first7=David |last8=Babin |first8=Michael |last9=Pilz |first9=Renate B. |last10=Mahon |first10=Sari B. |last11=Brenner |first11=Matthew |title=Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Thiosulfate Are Effective Against Acute Cyanide Poisoning when Administered by Intramuscular Injection |date=June 2017 |journal=Annals of Emergency Medicine |volume=69 |issue=6 |pages=718–725.e4 |doi=10.1016/j.annemergmed.2016.09.034 |issn=0196-0644 |pmc=5446299 |pmid=28041825}}</ref>