Toxicity of Trimethyltin and Dimethyltin in Rats and Mice

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 90; no. 5; pp. 626 - 633
• Main Authors: Tang, Xiaojiang, Wu, Xin, Dubois, Amber M., Sui, Gang, Wu, Banghua, Lai, Guanchao, Gong, Zhihong, Gao, Hongbin, Liu, Shenglai, Zhong, Zhiyong, Lin, Zhongning, Olson, James, Ren, Xuefeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.05.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Accidents; Animal populations; Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Chemical contaminants; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Female; Hypokalemia - chemically induced; Male; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Mice; Neurotoxicity Syndromes; Organotin Compounds - toxicity; Pollution; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rodents; Soil Science & Conservation; Toxicity; Toxicology; Trimethyltin Compounds - toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Hypokalemia; Dimethyltin; Cumulative toxicity; Trimethyltin; Acute toxicity; Hydroelectrolytic balance disorder; Intraperitoneal administration; Rat; Toxicity; Sex; Inorganic element; Histopathology; Urine; Acute; Rodentia; Elimination; Oral administration; Metabolic disorder; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Lethal dose 50; Mouse; Animal; Hypokaliemia; Tin Organic compounds; Potassium
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-013-0975-x

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.