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Bone Strength in Growing Rats Treated with Fluoride: a Multi-dose Histomorphometric, Biomechanical and Densitometric Study

Biological Trace Element Research volume 185, pages 375–383 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Bone deformation and fragility are common signs of skeletal fluorosis. Disorganisation of bone tissue and presence of inflammatory foci were observed after fluoride (F−) administration. Most information about F− effects on bone has been obtained in adult individuals. However, in fluorosis areas, children are a population very exposed to F− and prone to develop not only dental but also skeletal fluoroses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the bone parameters responsible for the effect of different doses of F− on fracture load of the trabecular and cortical bones using multivariate analysis in growing rats. Twenty-four 21-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: F0, F20, F40 and F80, which received orally 0, 20, 40 or 80 μmol F−/100 g bw/day, respectively, for 30 days. After treatment, tibiae were used for measuring bone histomorphometric and connectivity parameters, bone mineral density (BMD) and bone cortical parameters. The femurs were used for biomechanical tests and bone F− content. Trabecular bone volume was significantly decreased by F−. Consistently, we observed a significant decrease in fracture load and Young’s modulus (YM) of the trabecular bone in F−-treated groups. However, cortical bone parameters were not significantly affected by F−. Moreover, there were no significant differences in cortical nor trabecular BMD. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant correlation between the trabecular fracture load and YM but not with bone volume or BMD. It is concluded that when F− is administered as a single daily dose, it produces significant decrease in trabecular bone strength by changing the elasticity of the trabecular bone.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Hilda Moreno for technical assistance.

Funding

This study was funded by a grant from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (PIP 112-200801-00341). CONICET had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article.

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Affiliations

  1. Bone Biology Laboratory, School of Medicine, Rosario National University, Rosario, S2002KTR, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Brenda Lorena Fina, Maela Lupo, Eugenia Rocío Da Ros, Mercedes Lombarte & Alfredo Rigalli

  2. National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Brenda Lorena Fina, Maela Lupo, Mercedes Lombarte & Alfredo Rigalli

  3. Rosario National University Research Council, Rosario, Argentina

    Maela Lupo, Mercedes Lombarte & Alfredo Rigalli

Authors
  1. Brenda Lorena Fina
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  2. Maela Lupo
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  3. Eugenia Rocío Da Ros
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  4. Mercedes Lombarte
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  5. Alfredo Rigalli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brenda Lorena Fina.

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The animals were treated according to the accepted international standards for animal care, and the study has been approved by the Ethical Committee of the School of Medicine of Rosario National University.

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Fina, B.L., Lupo, M., Da Ros, E.R. et al. Bone Strength in Growing Rats Treated with Fluoride: a Multi-dose Histomorphometric, Biomechanical and Densitometric Study. Biol Trace Elem Res 185, 375–383 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-017-1229-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-017-1229-2

Keywords

  • Bone elasticity
  • Bone resistance
  • Fluoride
  • Fracture load
  • Mineral density