COMPARATIVE STUDY ON ACUTE TOXICITY OF FLUORIDE, ALUMINIUM AND ALUMINIUM FLUORIDE TO SWISS ALBINO MICE

摘要

We report toxic effects of F (NaF at 190 mg/kg body weight), Al~(3+) (A1_2(SO_4)_3.16H_2O at 78.4 mg/kg) and A1F_3 (at 103 mg/ kg) on Swiss albino mice exposed to them via gavage (0.5 ml) for 7 days while the control received the same quantity of vehicle (distilled water). As compared with control, body weights (16-25 %) and food (10.8 - 29.7 %) and water intake (23.7 - 46.9 %) decreased significantly (p <0.05), especially in the Al~(3+) treatment. The values of Hb, RBC, WBC, PCV, MCV and platelet counts decreased (3 - 20 %), whereas the percentage of morphologically abnormal RBC increased (16.9 - 44.0 %, significant at p<0.001). Serum urea increased significantly (26 - 50 %, p<0.01), whereas total serum bilirubin (3 - 32 %) and direct bilirubin (17 %) decreased. The values of ALT, ALP, globulin and total lipid content were higher (5 - 50 %) than the control in the Al~(3+) and A1F_3 treatments, while creatinine was higher than the control (16 %) in the F" treatment. Cholesterol content increased significantly (18 %, p<0.05) only in Al~(3+) exposed mice. The study revealed that aluminium salts were more toxic than sodium fluoride.