Effect of Dietary Fluoride on Food Intake and Plasma Fluoride Concentration in the Rat

Abstract

The effect of excessive amounts (200–600 ppm) of dietary fluoride on the food intake and plasma fluoride concentration of rats of various ages was investigated. In older animals, the decline in food intake was partially corrected within a week even though the plasma fluoride concentration remained elevated. When the same amounts of fluoride were fed to younger animals, a longer exposure to the diet was required before an improvement in food intake was seen. The ability of the rat to increase its consumption of the high fluoride diet following an initial drop in consumption suggests some type of adaptation to the elevated plasma and soft tissue fluoride concentrations.