The Effect of Vitamin a Deficiency and Fluoride on Glycosaminoglycan Metabolism in Bone

Abstract

The effects of fluoride intake and vitamin A deficiency on glycosaminoglycan metabolism in vivo were investigated. Weanling female rats were fed either a vitamin A deficient diet ad libitum, a vitamin A supplemented diet pair-fed to the deficient animals, or the vitamin A supplemented diet ad libitum. Additionally, each vitamin A dietary group was divided into three subgroups with the animals receiving water containing 0, 10 or 50 ppm fluoride. The results showed that the groups receiving 10 and 50 ppm fluoride at all dietary levels of vitamin A had significantly higher in vivo ³⁵SO₄ incorporation in both the epiphyseal and diaphyseal regions of the bone than the animals receiving 0 ppm fluoride. The vitamin A deficient animals incorporated significantly less ³⁵SO₄ into glycosaminoglycans in the epiphyseal and diaphyseal regions of the bone compared to the pair-fed, vitamin A sufficient animals for all three fluoride receiving groups. There was no interaction between fluoride intake and dietary vitamin A levels on ³⁵SO₄ incorporation into glycosaminoglycans. Fluoride either increased sulfation or turnover of glycosaminoglycans.