Effect of organo-tellurium compounds on the enzymatic alterations in rats

An attempt has been made to correlate early toxicity of organo-tellurium (Te) compounds with enzymic alterations in liver, kidney, brain and serum at 1 and 3 days following single i.p. injections of bis-(tetraphenyl phosphonium) tetracyanato-bis-p-methoxy p-phenyl tellurate(IV) (TTMT) and bis-(tetraheptyl ammonium) tetraiodocyclopentane tellurate(IV) (TACT). These compounds, at 2 and 1 mg Te/kg body weight as TTMT and TACT, respectively, produced cholinergic signs and caused death within 3 days. Administration at maximum tolerable doses of 0.5 mg and 0.1 mg Te/kg body weight as TTMT and TACT, respectively, resulted in significant reduction of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) in serum and brain and by a significant decrease in hepatic glutathione and in glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and alkaline phosphatase in liver and kidney.