The Effect of Age on the Level and Metabolism of Fluorine in the Bones of the Fluoridated Rat

Abstract

An effect of age upon the deposition and retention of femur fluorine has been demonstrated. Fluorine was deposited in greater amounts in the femur of the young rat than in that of the mature rat; however, both the young and mature rat femurs continued to concentrate fluorine progressively with time. Femur fluorine in the rat was mobilized from this bone during periods of low fluorine intake. Again age affected the rate and extent of such femur F^- catabolism. The mobilization of femur fluorine of the weanling rat accompanied by an increase in age caused bone changes in the femur which closed a portion of the available fluorine deposition sites to subsequent re-fluoridation.