The Effects of Fluoride on the Total- and Glycosaminoglycan-Hexosamines in Bones of Young Rats 1

Conclusions

Rapid, high deposition of fluoride in young rats altered the concentration of total hexosamines and the hexosamines corresponding to the acid glycosamino-glycans precipitable by cetylpyridinium chloride, in the cancellous, growing ends of the bones. There were indications that the hexosamines were increased at one level of fluoride ingestion and decreased at another, which would be in agreement with both the increase in bone growth and calcification sometimes reported in cases of osteofluorosis and the decrease in calcification and formation of osteoid reported in others. Similar effects were not obtained in more fully calcified compact and membranous bone, where the uptake of fluoride was less, and the concentration of the hexosamines was relatively low.

In bones from normal rats, the total hexosamines decreased with age. In compact and membranous bone, the hexosamines corresponding to the glycosaminoglycans constituted about one-third of the concentration of total hexosamines and approximately 0.05-0.06% of the dry weight. In cancellous bone, they constituted more than 50% of the total hexosamines and 0.3-0.5% of the dry weight.