Decrease of serum triglyceride in normal rats fed with 2000 ppm aluminum diet for 67 days: I. Feeding young rats sucrose, lactose, milk, casein or soy-protein diets with addition of aluminum chloride☆

Abstract Aluminum (Al) compounds are widely used in drugs and food additives but the toxicity of such compounds is not known in detail except in patients with renal insufficiency (J. W. Coburn and A. C. Alfrey 1986, Kidney Int. , 29 , Suppl. 18). In this experiment, toxicity of ingested Al was investigated in relation to nutritional conditions in normal rats having no renal insufficiency. Sucrose, lactose, milk, casein and soy-protein diets were prepared. As the Al source, aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ) was added to these diets at the level of 2000 μg/g (ppm). Male weanling Wistar rats were fed for 67 days without any Al effect on body weight gain. After a half-day starvation they were terminated. The significance of difference resulting from Al treatment was statistically tested between rats consuming diet with or without added Al. Serum Al concentrations did not exceed 20 ng/ml in any of the groups. Tibia Al concentration doubled in rats consuming added Al in every diet but lactose. Liver Al concentration increased significantly in the Sucrose, Milk, and Casein groups compared to each Control group consuming diet without addition of Al. No lactose effect on Al accumulation was observed. With Al treatment, anemia and hypophosphatemia were not observed, but a decrease in tibia weight was observed with every diet. Aluminum-dependent decreases in serum triglyceride (TG) concentration were also observed in all dietary groups, without any effect on serum cholesterol or phospholipid (P-lipid) concentrations. These results indicate that dietary factors affecting Al accumulation and toxicity were small. Effects of oral Al on nutritional metabolism should be investigated even though there was no significant increase in serum Al concentrations.