[Effects of exposure to aluminum on some metal elements contents in hippocampus of rat].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of exposure to aluminum (Al) on Zn, Fe, Cu and Ca contents in hippocampus of rats.


METHODS
AlCl(3).6H(2)O was administered orally through diet (8% of body weight) to SD rats at doses of 0 (A), 11.2 (B), 55.9 (C), 111.9 (D) mg Al(3+)/kg BW for successive 90 days. Then Al, Zn, Fe, Cu and Ca contents in hippocampi of rats were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.


RESULTS
After oral exposure to Al, the Al content in hippocampus of rat increased significantly with a remarkable dose-effect relationship (r = 0.731, P < 0.001), The Zn, Fe, Ca and Cu contents in these four groups are as follows: Group A (18.29 +/- 2.48, 24.86 +/- 1.97, 48.69 +/- 22.08, 4.53 +/- 0.99) mg/g, Group B (17.22 +/- 2.06, 27.54 +/- 2.87, 42.79 +/- 14.42, 4.06 +/- 0.41) mg/g, Group C (14.46 +/- 1.90, 20.18 +/- 2.79, 29.95 +/- 7.33, 3.98 +/- 0.25) mg/g, Group D (15.85 +/- 2.54, 20.96 +/- 2.83, 36.14 +/- 12.66, 4.53 +/- 0.58) mg/g. Compared with the control group A, the Zn and Fe contents in group B and group C decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and the Ca content in group C also decreased significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral exposure to Al may result in accumulation of Al in hippocampus of brain and thus affect some essential elements (Zn, Fe, Cu and Ca) contents in the hippocampus at different degrees.
Yang
Jun
J
Toxicology Institute, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
Jia
Yichang
Y
Zhao
Rencheng
R
Jin
Nianzu
N
Chen
Jingheng
J
D000535:Aluminum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
D008670:Metals; D003300:Copper; D000535:Aluminum; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium