Fluoride deposition in the aged human pineal gland

Caries Res. 2001 Mar-Apr;35(2):125-8. doi: 10.1159/000047443.

Abstract

The purpose was to discover whether fluoride (F) accumulates in the aged human pineal gland. The aims were to determine (a) F-concentrations of the pineal gland (wet), corresponding muscle (wet) and bone (ash); (b) calcium-concentration of the pineal. Pineal, muscle and bone were dissected from 11 aged cadavers and assayed for F using the HMDS-facilitated diffusion, F-ion-specific electrode method. Pineal calcium was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Pineal and muscle contained 297+/-257 and 0.5+/-0.4 mg F/kg wet weight, respectively; bone contained 2,037+/-1,095 mg F/kg ash weight. The pineal contained 16,000+/-11,070 mg Ca/kg wet weight. There was a positive correlation between pineal F and pineal Ca (r = 0.73, p<0.02) but no correlation between pineal F and bone F. By old age, the pineal gland has readily accumulated F and its F/Ca ratio is higher than bone.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bone and Bones / chemistry
  • Cadaver
  • Calcium / analysis
  • Diffusion
  • Durapatite / analysis
  • Female
  • Fluorides / analysis*
  • Humans
  • Ion-Selective Electrodes
  • Male
  • Muscle, Skeletal / chemistry
  • Pineal Gland / chemistry*
  • Spectrophotometry, Atomic
  • Statistics as Topic

Substances

  • Durapatite
  • Fluorides
  • Calcium