Effects of low doses of fluoride on serum proteins and a serum enzyme in man.

Abstract

FLUORIDE ions have long been known to exert an inhibitory effect on the activity of certain enzymes-Frajola1 lists ten human enzymes which are definitely inhibited in vitro and suggests that there may be more. In an experiment in one subject receiving 36 mg of sodium fluoride daily for 18 days Frajola was able to show that the activities of the serum enzymes lactic dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and glutamic transaminase were reduced, but he does not say whether the general health of the subject was affected. Opponents of fluoridation as a public health measure argue that the action as an enzyme inhibitor will affect general health and they quote instances of subjectively assessed ill-health and allergylike reactions following fluoridation of public water supplies, but careful medical observations in fluoridated areas have shown no increase of systemic disease and no significant variation in mortality rates. It has been stated2 that there is no evidence that fluoride ingested at 1 p.p.m. in drinking water has any effect on human enzyme activity, but there are no specific experimental data on this question.