A Comparison of the Effects of Continuous and Periodic Fluoride Delivery on Fluoride Levels in Plasma, Enamel, and Bones of Nursing Rats

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the F levels in plasma, enamel, and bones of nursing rat pups that received the same daily dose of F by continuous or periodic delivery during enamel development. The hypothesis was that F delivered continuously would result in enamel F levels higher than those attained when F was delivered periodically. For continuous delivery, copolymer devices (Southern Research Institute) that provide slow release of F were implanted in the backs of four-day-old rat pups. For periodic delivery, rat pups received F by intraperitoneal injection or gastric intubation. The doses were 0.01, 0.02, or 0.04 mg Flday. The rats were killed at 13 days of age, 24 hours after the last periodic delivery. Plasma was collected, femur and calvaria bones were removed, and enamel was scraped from developing first molars. Fluoride assay was by the microdiffusion method of Taves, with a F electrode. For the 0.02 mg Flday dose, plasma levels in control, implanted, injected, and gastric-intubated rats were 0.004, 0.020, 0.011, and 0.009 ppm, respectively. Enamel F levels were 1.1, 61.9, 54.0, and 42.3 ppm, respectively. Femur F levels were 2.2, 81.2, 84.8, and 68.1 ppm, respectively. Calvaria F levels were 2.5, 79.3, 80.1, and 67.9 ppm, respectively. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the enamel F levels or in the bone F levels in rat pups that received continuous or periodic, by injection, delivery of F at the same daily dose. The significance is that similar levels of F can be attained in developing enamel if the same total dose of F is delivered continuously or periodically once a day. Previous studies have shown that there is less chance of producing disturbances in enamel mineralization with continuous F delivery when compared with periodic F delivery at a lower daily dose.