METABOLISM OF DIPHENYLTIN COMPOUND IN RAT-LIVER AFTER A SINGLE ORAL-ADMINISTRATION OF DIPHENYLTIN DICHLORIDE

The metabolism of phenyltin compounds in the rat liver following oral administration of diphenyltin, one of the metabolites of triphenyltin, has been examined. The phenyltin concentrations in the liver were determined by gas chromatography. The concentrations were measured periodically for 72 h after a single oral dose of diphenyltin dichloride was given to rats. We detected not only mono- and diphenyltin but also triphenyltin in the liver, and these compounds were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/selected ion monitoring. No triphenyltin was detected in untreated rat liver to which diphenyltin was added directly. This finding indicates that the diphenyltin compound does not itself decompose and it is not converted into triphenyltin during the analytical procedure. It seems, therefore, that the triphenyltin compound was formed in the liver of the diphenyltin-treated rat by metabolism of diphenyltin dichloride. These results show that part of the administered diphenyltin compound may cause some harmful effects as the triphenyltin compound in the rat, and this must be taken into consideration in toxicological research on diphenyltin.