Acute triethyltin exposure: effects on the visual evoked potential and hippocampal afterdischarge

Acute administration of triethyltin (TET) produces a well-described sequence of pathological events characterized by intramyelinic vacuolation, edema, and histotoxic hypoxia. Recent behavioral studies have attempted to characterize the functional consequences of TET exposures. In this study, the effects of exposure on the visual evoked response (VER) and hippocampal afterdischarge (AD) were determined. Rats were administered either 0, 0.188, 0.375, 0.75, or 1.50 mg/kg TET bromide IP each day for 6 consecutive days. TET increased latencies of P1, N1, P2, N2, and N3 peaks of the VER. The increased latencies are consistent with delayed conduction produced by alterations in the myelin of the optic nerve. TET increased the frequency of spikes within ADs, increased the severity of postictal EEG depressions, and prolonged recovery of excitability following ADs. These effects may be partially explained as reflecting a generalized CNS depression.