Studies on hypokalemia induced by trimethyltin chloride.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To determine the possible relationship between plasma potassium concentration and severity of acute trimethyltin chloride (TMT) poisoning and to assess the mechanism of TMT induced hypokalemia.

METHODS:

SD rats were treated with various dosages of TMT (i.p.). All the indices were measured and analysed for determining their possible relations with plasma K+.

RESULTS:

With increase of dosage, the plasma K+ level dropped rapidly, and deaths appeared more quickly. The LD50 of TMT (i.p.) was 14.7 mg/kgbw. In the low dosage group (10 mg/kgbw), the plasma K+ level dropped slowly with the lowest dosage on day 6 (4.85 mmol/L). It rose again on day 11 (5.06 mmol/L), and recovered on day 28. The poisoning signs corresponded with decline of the span of K+ level. The plasma Na+ level dropped half an hour after TMT treatment, but recovered 24 h later. In the high dosage group (46.4 mg/kgbw), the levels of plasma K+ and Na+ fell rapidly within half an hour (P < 0.05), the intracellular potassium concentration of RBC did not decrease obviously (P > 0.05), the activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Mg(2+)-ATPase in RBC membrane were depressed remarkably (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively), the plasma aldosterone concentrations rose as high as tenfold (P < 0.01), the arterial blood pH fell from 7.434 to 7.258 (P < 0.01), pCO2 was raised from 29.62 to 45.33 mmHg (P < 0.01). In the 24 h urine test, when rats were treated with TMT (21.5 mg/kgbw, i.p.), urine volume, urinary potassium, sodium and chloride increased significantly in comparison with those in the controls (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION:

TMT could induce hypokalemia in SD rats. The available evidence suggests that TMT can induce acute renal leakage of potassium. At the same time, a significant rise of plasma aldosterone may play an important role in promoting potassium leakage from kidney to result in severe hypokalemia with inhaling acid-base abnormalities produced, which aggravate the poisoning symptoms. In the end the rats would die of respiratory failure.

• Authors: Xiao-Jiang Tang, Guan-Chao Lai, Jian-Xun Huang, Lai-Yu Li, Ying-Yu Deng, Fei Yue, Qing Zhang
• Journal: Biomedical and environmental sciences : BES (Biomed Environ Sci) Vol. 15 Issue 1 Pg. 16-24 (Mar 2002) ISSN: 0895-3988 [Print] China
• PMID: 12046544 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Trimethyltin Compounds
• trimethyltin chloride

Topics

• Animals
• Female
• Hypokalemia (chemically induced, veterinary)
• Injections, Intraperitoneal
• Kidney Diseases (chemically induced, veterinary)
• Lethal Dose 50
• Male
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Severity of Illness Index
• Trimethyltin Compounds (pharmacology, poisoning)