FLUORIDE-CHANGES TO BRAINS, SPINAL CORD AND SCIATIC NERVE–RATS

… Neuro-degeneration was clearly evident in the hippocampus,
neocortex, cerebellum, spinal cord and sciatic
nerve on fluoride exposure …

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JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

J Me d A l l i e d S c i 2 0 1 1 ; 1 ( 1 ) : 3 0 -35

w w w . jma s . i n

P r i n t I S SN: 2 2 31 1696 On l i n e I S SN: 2231 1 70 X

Neurodegenerative changes in different regions of brain, spinal

cord and sciatic nerve of rats treated with sodium fluoride.

P. Yugandhar Reddy1,  K Pratap Reddy1,  K. Praveen Kumar1

1 Department of Zoology, University College of Sciences, 

Osmania University,  Hyderabad 500 007,

Andhra Pradesh,  INDIA

 January 2011

Abstract:

Fluoride is known to cross the blood-brain barrier and alter the structure and function of neural tissue. There are few authoritative reports on neurodegenerative changes in hippocampus, neocortex, cerebellum, spinal cord and sciatic nerve in fluoride intoxication.
We report the alte-rations in the structure of neuronal tissue after chronic administration of sodium fluoride (for 60 days) to rats.

Twelve male Wistar rats were divided equally into two groups: one group received 20 ppm of sodium fluoride (NaF) and the other group (which served as a control) received tap water for 60days. The body weights and organic somatic index of brain in the sodium fluoride treated animals were significantly reduced, relative to the control group. Tissue fluoride levels of hippocampus, neocortex, cerebellum, spinal cord and sciatic nerve, all increased significantly in fluoride treated rats. Electron microscopy of the hippocampus, neocortex, cere-bellum, spinal cord and sciatic nerve showed neurodegenerative changes in the NaF treated group compared to controls. Axon deterioration, myelin sheath degeneration and dark cells with scanty cytop-lasm were observed in spinal cord and sciatic nerve in the treated group. Other distinctive morphological alterations observed were: vacuolated swollen mitochondria in neocortex, hippocampus and cerebellum; myelinated fibers with breaks in continuity (axon partly preserved and partly vacuolated) in hippocampus; myelin splitting and vacuolated schwann cell within the cerebellum and sciatic nerve respectively. Thus, neurodegeneration was clearly evident in the hippocampus, neocortex, cerebellum, spinal cord and sciatic nerve on fluoride exposure.

Key words: sciatic nerve,  cerebellum,  sodium fluoride,  hippocampus,

   transmission electron microscope ©

2011 Deccan College of Medical Sciences.

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THANK YOU J. M. A. S.

OUR COMMENTS:

Rats manufacture Vitamin C, in their livers, which gives them

some protection from fluoride damage. Human livers

do not have this function, therefore on poor diets

over many years, on lower doses of fluoride

humans will suffer more than rats…