Studies of Aluminum in Rat Brain

摘要

The effects of high aluminum concentrations in rat brains were studied using sup 14 C autoradiography to measure the uptake of sup 14 C 2-deoxy-D-glucose ( sup 14 C-2DG) and microbeam proton-induced x-ray emission (microPIXE) with a 20- mu m resolution to measure concentrations of magnesium, aluminum, potassium, and calcium. The aluminum was introduced intracisternally in the form of aluminum tartrate (Al-T) while control animals were given sodium tartrate (Na-T). The sup 14 C was administered intravenously. The animals receiving Al-T developed seizure disorders and had pathological changes that included cerebral cortical atrophy. The results showed that there was a decreased uptake of sup 14 C-2DG in cortical regions in which increased aluminum levels were measured, i.e., there is a correlation between the aluminum in the rat brain and decreased brain glucose metabolism. A minimum detection limit of about 16 ppM (mass fraction) or 3 x 10 sup 9 Al atoms was obtained for Al under the conditions employed. 14 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab. (ERA citation 12:016884)