Dibutyltin dichloride, toxicity

Animal data consistently show dibutyltin dichloride to cause dose-dependent developmental toxicity, such as fetal deaths, birth defects, and reductions in fetal weight. 

A study on Wistar rats by Farr et al. (2001) showed no maternal toxicity at doses up to 5 mg/kg body weight for dibutyltin dichloride signs of maternal toxicity — reduced body weight gain, decreased food consumption, and thymus weight — were observed at 10 mg/kg body weight. No teratogenic effects were seen at 10 mg/kg... 

Sterner W, Chibanguza G (1976) Acute inhalation toxicity of dibutyltin dichloride in rats, internationai Bio-Research, inc., March. 

For diorganotins, a range of lethal doses of 200-3, 750 mg/kg is provided from rodent data (Calley et al. 1967 Pelikan and Cerny 1970). A dose of 50 mg/kg/day dibutyltin dichloride for 3 days caused deaths in 30%-50% of the treated rats. Some deaths occurred in 6-10 days following dosing and were attributed to extensive injury to the bile duct and liver (Barnes and Magee 1958). The specific estimates of acute oral toxicity in these reports suggest that both the mono- and dialkyltins show less toxicity as the chain lengths are increased. 

Sulfur-containing compounds have been shown in vitro to interact with tributyltin compounds to produce other compounds with lower hemolytic activity (Byington et al. 1974). It has also been shown in vitro that the toxic properties of dibutyltin dichloride may be enhanced by meso, 2-3,-dimercapto-succinic acid, by means of a hydrophobic reaction with glutathione enzymes (Henninghausen and Merkord 1985). Such interactions could be of importance in treatment of organotin poisonings. 

IBT. 1975. Acute vapor inhalation toxicity study with dibutyltin dichloride in rats. Report to M and T Chemicals, Inc., Rahway, NJ, by Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, Inc., Northbrook, IL. IBT No. 66307183. 

Antidotal effects of 2,3-dimercaptopropane-l-sulfonic (DMPS) and meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic (DMSA) acids on the toxicity of dibutyltin dichloride in rats were... 

The inhalation toxicities (50% fatality in rats) of dimethyl tin dichloride, monomethyltin trichloride, and dibutyltin dichloride are 1070, 600, and 73 mg/(L-h) (191). 

Dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC) is a widespread environmental pollutant that exhibits developmental toxicity in animals 19 and immunotoxic effects in human cells in vitroJ2°l No studies were found in the literature that compared the developmental and immunotoxic effects of DBTC alone to a mixture of DBTC and ethanol. One study, however, found that ethanol co-administered with DBTC increased the toxicity of DBTC in the liver and pancreas of laboratory animals both acutely and chronically. 21 An analysis of this study suggests that the combination of DBTC and ethanol might be expected to show enhanced toxic effects on other body organs and systems. 

Table 17.2 contains results for the organotin monomers tested. Whereas the majority exhibited some ability to inhibit microorganism growth, the best inhibition was by the dibutyltin dichloride and dimethyltin dichloride as expected. The ability for dibutyltin dichloride to be so active is positive as it has the lowest toxicity toward human beings. It is difficult to compare the inhibition results for the monomeric organotin dichalides with the polymers because the organotin dihalides probably have some solubility in the tested medium whereas the polymers have none. 

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