A piece in the puzzle of bismuth toxicology

Liver cells transform inorganic bismuth into potentially toxic methylated species, according to observations from scientists in Germany.

Inorganic bismuth is known to have low toxicity and is often used as a lead substitute, for example in paints and alloys; it is even used in medicine as an antigastric and antiulcer agent. However, there is evidence that intestinal microflora can convert inorganic bismuth compounds into multiply-methylated species, which are highly toxic and can cause brain disfunction. Now Markus Hollmann and colleagues, at the University of Duisberg-Essen, have shown that human hepatic cells can also convert inorganic bismuth to organic bismuth. More...

http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/cb/Volume/2009/12/bismuth_puzzle.asp