VITAMIN C REDUCTION OF F. INDUCED EMBRYO-TOXICITY IN RATS

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

Guinea pigs, apes, [some] fruit bats and humans share
another trait: The tendency to develop coronary heart
disease. The development of heart disease only
occurs in animals and humans that lack adequate
intake of ascorbates through dietary sources.

Jai Research Foundation,
Vapi, Valvada 396 108,
India

    Oral administration of sodium fluoride (40 mg/kg body weight)from day 6 to 19 of gestation caused, as comparedto control, significant reductions in body weight, feed consumption, absolute uterine weight and numberof implantations. Significantly higher incidenceof skeletal (wavy ribs, 14th rib, <6 sternal centre, dumbell-shaped second and fifth sternebrae, incompleteossification 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) fromday 6 to 19 of gestation along with NaF significantlyameliorates NaF-induced reductions in body weight,feed consumption, absolute uterine weight (only with vitaminE treatment) and number of implantations. Ascompared with NaF-treated alone, the total percentageof skeletal and visceral abnormalities were significantly loweredin fluoride plus vitamin C-treated animals.Vitamin E was less effective.

These finding 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)

 

See ⇒ Fruit bats 

Progressive Pseudogenization:

Vitamin C Synthesis & Its Loss in Bats

See also ⇒ BATS