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Apoptosis in brain cells of offspring rats exposed to high fluoride and low iodine.Abstract
To assess brain cell apoptosis induced by high fluoride and/or low iodine in their offspring, 32 one-month old Wistar albino rats were divided randomly into four equal groups, each with six females and two males. The first group of rats served as the untreated controls; the second group received high fluoride (HiF) in their drinking water (100 mg NaF/L); the third group was placed on a low iodine (LI) diet (0.0855 mg I/kg); and the fourth group was exposed to the same concentrations of HiF and LI together. After the animal model was established, the rats were allowed to breed, and 36 offspring rats in each group were randomly selected for the experiments. The treatment for these second generation rats was the same as for their parents. At 0, 10, 30, 60, and 90 days after birth, these offspring rats were anesthetized and their brain cells prepared for flow cytometry. In comparison with the controls, the percent of brain cell apoptosis in the offspring rats in the three treated groups was obviously higher, especially in the HiF+LI group. With aging, brain cell apoptosis increased gradually in every group before the 30-day mark. These results indicate that cell apoptosis may play an important role in brain function affected by exposure to HiF, LI, and HiF+LI.