These findings suggest that vitamin C significantly reduced
the severity and incidence of fluoride-induced
embryo toxicity in rats.

                   

Jai Research Foundation, Vapi, Valvada 396 108, India

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Oral administration of sodium fluoride (40 mg/kg body weight) from day 6 to 19 of gestation caused, as compared  to control, significant reductions in body weight, feed consumption, absolute uterine weight and number of implantations. Significantly higher incidence of skeletal (wavy ribs, 14th rib, <6 sternal centre, dumbell-shaped second and fifth sternebrae, incomplete ossification of skull and thickening of tibia) and visceral (subcutaneous haemorrhage) abnormalities were alsoobserved in NaF-treated dams than that of control. Oral administration of vitamin C (50 mg/kg bodyweight) and vitamin E (2 mg/0.2 ml olive oil/animal/day) from day 6 to 19 of gestation along with NaF significantly ameliorates NaF-induced reductions in body weight, feed consumption, absolute uterine weight (only with vitamin E treatment) and number of implantations. Ascompared with NaF-treated alone, the total percentageof skeletal and visceral abnormalities were significantly lowered in fluoride plus vitamin C-treated animals.
Vitamin E was less effective.

These findings suggest that vitamin C significantly reduced the severity and incidence of fluoride-induced embryo toxicity in rats.

Key Words:
fluoride • vitamins • embryotoxicity • amelioration

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 20, No. 12, 619-623 (2001)