Abstract

Fluoride exposure to rats can alter system physiology and biochemistry and results in abnormal organ function. Mitochondria, the power house of the cell can be act as a marker to identify fluoride mediated oxidative damage through changes of mitochondrial micro viscosity. Male albino rats were fed with 5 ppm, 10 ppm, 15ppm and 20 ppm sodium fluoridated water to create different modes of fluoride toxicity in rats to observe the fluoride deposition level upon exposure, mitochondrial micro viscosity changes and organ histology alteration compared to control. The fluoridated rats showed continuous increase in deposition level in liver, kidney, brain and testis. 20 ppm NaF exposure showed significant (P<0.001) decrease in mitochondrial membrane viscosity leading to alteration of energy production system. Necrotic haemolytic damages and presence of inflammatory cells were observed upon NaF exposure in rat liver and kidney tissues respectively. Similarly neuronal and spermatogonial degenerations were observed in rats brain and testicular cells exposed to fluoride intoxication. All these above result describe the adverse effect of groundwater contaminants fluoride be an environmental threat to animal kingdom.