Corneal edema induced by bis (tributyltin) oxide.

Corneal edema induced by bis (tributyltin) oxide (TBTO) was studied with an electron microscope and the accumulation sites of tin were determined with an X-ray microanalyzer. Male Wistar rats received an intramuscular injection of 0.5 ml/kg TBTO. After time intervals of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 h after injection, corneas were isolated and provided for electron microscopy. Corneas from untreated rats served as controls. Marked swelling of mitochondria in the corneal endothelial cells occurred at 4 h after TBTO injection. The corneal edema appeared in the endothelial layer and the stroma at 6 h after injection. By X-ray microanalysis, Sn peaks were obtained from swollen mitochondria in the endothelial cells. At 12 h after TBTO injection, edematous swelling of the corneal tissue became more advanced. These results indicated that parenterally administered TBTO accumulated in the mitochondria of corneal endothelial cells. The direct toxic effects of TBTO on the mitochondria might cause the interference with active pump function of endothelial cells and induced the corneal edema.