Oral aluminum administration to rats with normal renal function. 2. Body distribution

Aluminum (Al) has no known physiological function and is not considered an essential dietary compound. Nowadays, it is recognized as an element that can produce adverse effects on biological systems. The present study determined Al partitioning in the body compartments of rats that have been orally exposed for 15 weeks. Three experimental groups were studied: Controls (C, n=19), TAl-1 (n=10) rats receiving daily doses of Al citrate (1.0 micromol/g body weight) by gavage and TAl-2 (n=13), receiving Al citrate with the drinking water (100 mmol/ l). At the end of the experimental period, the Al contents of organs and sera were determined. Results are expressed as median and range values. Comparing the TAl-2 rats with the control ones, remarkable Al accumulation could be observed in serum (4.8/2.7-16.3 vs 0.4/0.2-1.2 micromol/l, P