Abstract
Inbred mice, fed a low-fluoride diet, 0.263 + 028 ppm F, were given drinking water containing 0, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, or 200 ppm F for 3 to 6 weeks. Cytological studies on bone marrow cell chromosomes and spermatocytes showed that 1-200 ppm F (as sodium fluoride) was able to induce chromosomal changes in a dose-dependent manner. The frequency of the induced chromosomal damage was significantly higher in each treatment than in the controls. The observed abnormalities included translocations, dicentrics, ring chromosomes, and bridges plus fragments, or fragments by themselves. There was a significant correlation between the amount of fluoride in the body ash and the frequency of the chromosomal abnormalities.