title: Central neurotransmitter effects of organotin compounds: trials, tribulations and observations.
abstract: Administration of trimethyltin (TMT) or triethyltin (TET) compounds to rats during postnatal development has known behavioral and neuropathological consequences. By measuring the concentrations of dopamine, norepinephrine, homovanillic acid, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid, acetylcholine, and choline in different brain areas of TMT and TET-treated animals, an attempt was made to correlate these functional deficits with changes in CNS neurotransmitter alterations in vivo. TET had no effect on any of the substances measured whereas TMT significantly decreased gamma-aminobutyric acid and dopamine levels, but only in hippocampus and striatum, respectively. All other neurotransmitter substances measured were not affected. These findings illustrate the complexity inherent in attempting to use neurochemical techniques alone as an index of toxicity in the absence of specific defined hypotheses.
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002794:Choline / Q000032:analysis; D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis; D009947:Organotin Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D009947:Organotin Compounds; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D002794:Choline; D000109:Acetylcholine; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid