Determination of Di- and Mono-n-Butyltin Compounds in Fetuses and Some Organs from Pregnant Rats Treated with Di-n-Butyltin Diacetate

By the use of capillary gas chromatograph with flame photometric detection, di-n-butyltin (DBT) and mono-n-butyltin (MBT) compounds in the fetus, placenta, maternal liver, kidney, spleen, and thymus from pregnant Wistar rats were determined on day 18 of gestation after oral treatment with di-n-butyltin diacetate at doses of 0, 1.7, 5.0 or 15.0 mg/kg/day on days 7 to 17 of gestation. Treatment with DBT caused malformations such as cleft mandible, cleft lower lip, ankyloglossia, schistoglossia. Concentrations of DBT and its metabolite MBT increased in the fetus and placenta and the maternal organs in a dose-dependent manner. DBT and MBT concentrations in the fetus and placenta were less than those in the maternal tissues. DBT was high in the liver and kidney and MBT was high in the kidney and thymus. It is clear that DBT given to pregnant rats can be transferred to fetuses via placenta.