Elsevier

Toxicology

Volume 55, Issue 3, 15 May 1989, Pages 253-298
Toxicology

Review paper
Toxicity of dibutyltin, tributyltin and other organotin compounds to humans and to experimental animals

https://doi.org/10.1016/0300-483X(89)90018-8Get rights and content

Abstract

Alkyltin compounds are used as stabilizers and antifouling agents. Food chain accumulation and bioconcentration have been demonstrated in crabs, oysters and salmon exposed to tributyltin oxide. In mammalian species, tributylin compounds may be metabolized to dibutyltin derivatives and related metabolites. Di- and tributyltins appear to be less potent neurotoxicants than trimethyltins and triethyltins. Dibutyltins and tributyltins produced bile duct damage in rats, mice and hamsters. Tributyltin oxide and dibutyltin and dioctyltin compounds are potent thymolytic and immunotoxic agents in rats. Tributyltin oxide at 5 ppm in the rat diet produced immunotoxicity in a 2-year feeding study, and at 50 ppm increased the incidence of tumors of endocrine origin. In preliminary reports, 5 ppm tributyltin produced no detectable increase in tumor incidence, and 0.5 ppm produced no detectable immunotoxicity in long-term studies. Tributyltin oxide and dibutyltin acetate did not appear to be mutagenic in a large battery of mutagenicity assays but produced base-pair substitutions in one of the bacterial strains tested. Tributyltin oxide produced mutations in Chinese hamster ovary cells, increased the incidence of micronuclei in the erythrocytes of exposed male BALB/c mice, and was highly embryotoxic in vitro. Embryotoxic and teratogenic effects in mice exposed to tributyltin oxide in vivo may have been due either to direct tributyltin oxide action or responses secondary to maternal toxicity. More information is needed to determine the applicability to human risk assessments of the immunotoxicity data derived from rat studies and to establish a definitive tolerable daily intake for tributyltin oxide.

References (157)

  • A.H. Penninks et al.

    The lymphocyte as target of toxicity: A biochemical approach to dialkyltin induced immunosuppression

  • R.H. Fish et al.

    Bioorganotin chemistry: Biological oxidation of tributyltin derivatives

    J. Organometal. Chem.

    (1975)
  • M.C. Middleton et al.

    Skin water content as a quantitative index of the vascular and histologic changes produced in rat skin by di-n-butyltin and tri-n-butyltin

    J. Invest. Dermatol.

    (1977)
  • M.C. Middleton et al.

    Changes in incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA of rat skin following cutaneous application of dibutyltin, tributyltin and 1-chloro-2:4-dinitrobenzene and the relationship of these changes to a morphological assessment of the cellular damage

    J. Invest. Dermatol.

    (1978)
  • D.W. Rosenberg et al.

    The potent induction of intestinal heme oxygenase by the organotin compound, bis(tri-n-butyltin)oxide

    Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.

    (1984)
  • I.F. Gaunt et al.

    Acute and short-term toxicity studies on di-n-butyltin dichloride in rats

    Food Cosmet. Toxicol.

    (1968)
  • A.H. Penninks et al.

    Comparative toxicity of alkyltin and estertin stabilizers

    Food Chem. Toxicol.

    (1982)
  • D.W. Rosenberg et al.

    Direct in vitro effects of bis(tri-n-butyltin)oxide on hepatic cytochrome P-450

    Biochem. Pharmacol.

    (1983)
  • J. Opacka et al.

    Nephrotoxic effect of trimethyltin in rats

    Toxicol. Lett.

    (1985)
  • A.H. Penninks et al.

    Toxicity of organotin compounds: IV. Impairment of energy metabolism of rat thymocytes by various dialkyltin compounds

    Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.

    (1980)
  • W. Seinen et al.

    Toxicity of organotin compounds: III. Suppression of thymus-dependent immunity in rats by di-n-butyltindichloride and di-n-octyltindichloride

    Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.

    (1977)
  • W. Seinen et al.

    Lymphocytotoxicity and immunosuppression by organotin compounds: Suppression of GVH activity, blast transformation and E-rosette formation by di-n-butyltin dichloride and di-n-octyltin dichloride

    Immunopharmacology

    (1979)
  • A.P. Li et al.

    In vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of dibutyltin dichloride and dibutylgermanium dichloride

    Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.

    (1982)
  • W. Seinen et al.

    Toxicity of organotin compounds: I. Atrophy of thymus-dependent lymphoid tissue in rats fed di-n-octyltindichloride

    Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.

    (1976)
  • J.G. Vos et al.

    Toxicity of bis(tri-n-butyltin)oxide in the rat: II. Suppression of thymus-dependent immune responses and of parameters of nonspecific resistance after short-term exposure

    Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.

    (1984)
  • Y. Arakawa et al.

    Inhibition of neutrophil chemotaxis by organotin compounds

    Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.

    (1984)
  • J.G.R. Elferink et al.

    Toxicity of organotin compounds for polymorphonuclear leukocytes: The effect on phagocytosis and exocytosis

    Biochem. Pharmacol.

    (1986)
  • K.H. Byington et al.

    The hemolytic activity of some trialkyltin and triphenyltin compounds

    Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.

    (1974)
  • C.O. Knowles et al.

    Influence of organotins on rat platelet aggregation mechanisms

    Environ. Res.

    (1986)
  • T.L. Johnson et al.

    Effects of organotin on rat platelets

    Toxicology

    (1983)
  • R.A. Gerren et al.

    Triethyltin toxicity as a model for degenerative disorders

    Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav.

    (1976)
  • Y. Eto et al.

    Lipid composition of rat brain myelin in triethyltin induced oedema

    J. Lipid Res.

    (1971)
  • A. Ross

    Industrial applications of organotin compounds

    Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.

    (1965)
  • J.G.A. Luyten
  • G.J.M. van der Kerk
  • G.J.M. van der Kerk

    The organic chemistry of tin

    Chem. Technol.

    (1978)
  • A.H. Frye et al.

    The chemistry of poly(vinyl chloride) stabilization: III. Organotin stabilizers having radioactively tagged alkyl groups

    J. Polym. Sci.

    (1964)
  • A.H. Frye et al.

    The chemistry of poly(vinyl chloride) stabilization: IV. Organotin stabilizers having radioactively tagged tin atoms

    J. Polym. Sci.

    (1964)
  • A.H. Frye et al.

    The chemistry of poly(vinyl chloride) stabilization: V. Organotin stabilizers having radioactively tagged Y groups

    J. Polym. Sci.

    (1964)
  • W.T. Piver

    Organotin compounds: Industrial applications and biological investigation

    Environ. Health Perspect.

    (1973)
  • K.R.S. Ascher

    Nonconventional biocidal uses of organotins

    Phytoparasitology

    (1985)
  • N.F. Cardarelli

    Controlled Release Molluscicides

    University of Akron, Akron, Ohio. Monograph

    (1977)
  • J. Smith

    Preservative stains fight fungus, mildew, and rot

    Pop. Sci.

    (1978)
  • C. Murray

    Organometallic polymers targeted at barnacles

    Chem. Eng. News

    (1975)
  • J.C. Montermoso et al.

    Polymers of tributyltin acrylate esters

    J. Polym. Sci. (Part D) Macromol. Rev.

    (1958)
  • R. Porter et al.

    Extended control of marine fouling: Formulation of a microencapsulated liquid organometallic biocide and vinyl rosin paint

    Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol.

    (1984)
  • J.M. Barnes et al.

    Toxic properties of some dialkyl and trialkyl tin salts

    Br. J. Ind. Med.

    (1958)
  • J.M. Barnes et al.

    The toxicology of tin compounds

    Pharmacol. Rev.

    (1959)
  • R.B. Laughlin et al.

    Accumulation of bis(tributyltin) oxide by the marine mussel Mytilus edulis

    Environ. Sci. Technol.

    (1986)
  • M.J. Waldock et al.
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text