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A MIXTURE OF ORGANOTINS FOUND IN POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) PIPE IS NOT IMMUNOTOXIC TO SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS WHEN GIVEN IN DRINKING WATER
Citation:
DEWITT, J., C. B. COPELAND, AND R. W. LUEBKE. A MIXTURE OF ORGANOTINS FOUND IN POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) PIPE IS NOT IMMUNOTOXIC TO SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS WHEN GIVEN IN DRINKING WATER. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 71(4):276-82, (2007).
Impact/Purpose:
We assessed immune functions in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to the mixture of organotins used in PVC pipe production because, although several of these organotins are reported immunotoxicants, their immunotoxicity as a mixture when given by drinking water has not been evaluated.
Description:
Organotin compounds used in PVC pipe production are of concern to the U.S. EPA because they leach from supply pipes into drinking water and are reported multisystem toxicants. We assessed immune functions in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to the mixture of organotins used in PVC pipe production because, although several of these organotins are reported immunotoxicants, their immunotoxicity as a mixture when given by drinking water has not been evaluated. Adult male rats were given drinking water for 28d containing a mixture of dibutyltin dichloride, dimethyltin dichloride, monobutyltin trichloride, and monomethyltin trichloride (MMT) in a 2:2:1:1 ratio, respectively, at three different concentrations (5:5:2.5:2.5, 10:10:5:5, or 20:20:10:10 mg organotin/L), MMT alone (20, or 40 mg MMT/L), or plain water as a control. Delayed-type hypersensitivity, antibody synthesis, and natural killer cell cytotoxicity were evaluated in separate endpoint groups (N = 8/dose; 24/endpoint) immediately after exposure ended. The evaluated immune functions were not affected by the mixture or by MMT alone. Our data suggest that immunotoxicity is unlikely to result from the concentration of organotins present in drinking water delivered via PVC pipe as the concentrations we used were several orders of magnitude higher than those expected to leach from PVC pipe.
