Effect of triethyltin on enzyme activity in human adult and cord red cells.

N Patritti-Laborde, N A Lachant, A Tomoda, M H Chan, K R Tanaka

Index: Enzyme 35(2) , 87-95, (1986)

Full Text: HTML

Abstract

Since organotin compounds represent an environmental health hazard, we determined the effect of triethyltin bromide (TTB) on red blood cell (RBC) enzyme activity. TTB produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of hexokinase and pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase for both adult and cord RBC. D-Glucose, but not ATP or MgCl2, prevented the hexokinase inhibition by TTB. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, adenylate kinase, and hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase were also inhibited by TTB. Cord RBC enzymes were more resistant to the effects of TTB than were adult RBC enzymes. Although TTB is a potent inhibitor of hexokinase, physiologic concentrations of glucose appear to protect the RBC during clinical tin intoxication.