Dietary triorganotins affect lymphatic tissues and blood composition of mice

Ph₃SnCl, Ph₃SnAc (Brestan), Cy₃SnOH (Plictran), and (Bu₃Sn)₂O (TBTO) markedly reduce the weight of the spleen and the gain in body weight of young mice feeding for 7 days on diets containing 260 μequiv organotin/kg diet. With mature mice feeding for 4 days on diets containing 780 μequiv organotin/kg, these compounds result in a loss in spleen weight and body weight and an alteration in the blood composition (reduction in lymphocytes and total leucocytes and an increase in erythrocytes, hemoglobin level, and hematocrit value). Four other organotins, [(PhCMe₂CH₂)₃Sn]₂O (Vendex), PhSnCl₂, Ph₂SnCl₂, and Ph₄Sn, are much less toxic based on these parameters. Poisoning by these dietary triorganotins was not related to cerebral edema or alterations in adrenal epinephrine level, liver nonprotein -SH groups, or the activity of digestive enzymes (intestine and stomach proteases and intestine amylase and invertase). The most sensitive indices of triorganotin toxicity appear to be those associated with changes in the lymphatic tissues and blood composition.