26Al incorporation into the brain of suckling rats through maternal milk.
Aluminium inhibits prenatal and postnatal brain development. However, aluminium incorporation into the brain of sucklings through maternal milk has not yet been well clarified because aluminium lacks a suitable isotope for radioactive tracer experiments. Using 26Al (26AlCl(3)) as a tracer, we measured 26Al incorporation into the brain of suckling rats by accelerator mass spectrometry. Lactating rats were subcutaneously injected with 26AlCl(3) from day 1 to day 20 postpartum. Suckling rats were weaned from day 21 postpartum. From day 5 to day 20 postpartum, the amounts of 26Al measured in the cerebrum, cerebellum, spinal cord, liver, and kidneys of suckling rats increased significantly. After weaning, the amounts of 26Al in the liver and kidneys decreased remarkably. Alternatively, in the cerebrum, cerebellum, and spinal cord, as much as 12 to 20% of the 26Al amounts present on day 20 postpartum remained in the tissues on day 730 postpartum. As the life span of rats is about 2 years, we conclude that considerable amounts of the 26Al taken up into the brain of suckling rats through maternal milk remained in their brain throughout their lifetime.
D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D008892:Milk / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011868:Radioisotopes; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D011868:Radioisotopes; D000535:Aluminum