No Evidence for a Diuretic Effect of Benzisothiazolinone (BIT) in an Experimental Animal Model Employing Anaesthetised Rats

The diuretic effects of benzisothiazolinone (BIT), vapours from a water-based paint, and the reference compound furosemide, were investigated in an experimental model employing anaesthetised rats. BIT (90 mg/kg body weight) was given orally 2 or 12 hr before the rats were anaesthetised. The paint vapours and furosemide were administered during anaesthesia. Urinary flow, osmolality, urinary concentrations of sodium and potassium, and blood pressure were measured as indicators of renal function. Whereas all these parameters were significantly affected after an injection with furosemide, neither BIT nor the vapours from the paint were found to induce any biologically significant effects. Provided that the experimental model with anaesthetised rats is relevant when studying the mechanisms for diuresis in man, the results of the present study suggest that previously reported problems with frequent urination among painters working with water-based paints are symptoms not related to a direct diuretic effect of BIT or the vapours from these paints.