Effects of trimethyltin on the immune system of rats

Abstract

Treatment with trimethyltin (TMT) induced atrophy of the thymus, spleen and lymph nodes within 2 days, but no changes in the bone marrow were observed. Atrophy of thymus and spleen did not occur in adrenal-ectomized rats treated with TMT. Antibody responses to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) and proliferative responses of spleen lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were suppressed significantly in treated rats. Delayed hypersensivity to oxazalone, natural killer (NK) cell activity and the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages (PEM) were not affected significantly. © 1984.