Toxicity of trimethyltin and dimethyltin in rats and mice.

Abstract

Extensive uses of methyltin compounds in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production have led to a dramatic increase of occupational-related methyltin poisoning accidents and the widespread contamination of methyltins in various environmental media. Here, we conducted studies to compare the acute toxicity induced by trimethyltin (TMT) and dimethyltin (DMT), and investigated the cumulative toxic effects of TMT in rats and mice. Neurobehavioral changes were observed in rats and mice treated with either DMT or TMT, but we also observed that both TMT and DMT exposure in rats significantly lowered the blood potassium level. Moreover, the cumulative toxic coefficient factor of TMT was 1.7 in rats versus 3.8 in mice, suggesting a high cumulative risk for rats and a moderate risk for mice. In summary, we demonstrated that acute and chronic exposure to methyltin compounds induced neurotoxicity and hypokalemia. Moreover, our study suggests that TMT can accumulate in the body and pose a risk for workers chronically exposed to a low dose of TMT.

• Authors: Xiaojiang Tang, Xin Wu, Amber M Dubois, Gang Sui, Banghua Wu, Guanchao Lai, Zhihong Gong, Hongbin Gao, Shenglai Liu, Zhiyong Zhong, Zhongning Lin, James Olson, Xuefeng Ren
• Journal: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology (Bull Environ Contam Toxicol) Vol. 90 Issue 5 Pg. 626-33 (May 2013) ISSN: 1432-0800 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23478947 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Environmental Pollutants
• Organotin Compounds
• Trimethyltin Compounds
• trimethyltin
• methyltin

Topics

• Animals
• Environmental Pollutants (toxicity)
• Female
• Hypokalemia (chemically induced)
• Male
• Mice
• Neurotoxicity Syndromes
• Organotin Compounds (toxicity)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Trimethyltin Compounds (toxicity)