Effects of trimethyltin and triethyltin on lever pressing, water drinking and running in an activity wheel: associated neuropathology.

Rats were given single injections of saline solution, or doses of triethyltin, or trimethyltin, and their drinking behavior, lever pressing for food pellets and running in an activity wheel were measured continuously for 16 consecutive days. At doses of 3.0 and 4.5 mg/kg, triethyltin decreased lever pressing, drinking and running, usually for more than a week. Subsequently, drinking and running showed increases. Only the highest dose (4.5 mg/kg) produced decreases in body weight. Doses of 6.0 and 9.0 mg/kg trimethyltin generally decreased lever pressing, drinking and running for several days, but large increases were observed subsequently for all of these measures. Rats receiving 9.0 mg/kg died 6 to 8 days after trimethyltin administration, but rats receiving 6.0 mg/kg continued to show increases in behavior for 12 to 16 days after trimethyltin administration. Examination of the brains by light microscopy of the same animals used in the behavioral studies showed high correlations between behavioral changes and neuropathology in individual animals.