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Endocrinology 1964; 75: 201-205

Effects of Estrogen on Bone Composition in Rats at Low and High Fluoride Intake

Gedalia I, Frumkin A, Zukerman H.

Department of Preventive Medicine and Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.

Abstract: Bone examinations were carried out on female rats which had received estradiol benzoate and drinking water containing either 0.55 or 50 ppm of fluoride (F). The estradiol benzoate was injected subcutaneously twice weekly and the rats were killed after 2, 4 and 6 weeks. The results showed that estrogen treatment increased specific gravity, breaking strength and ash percentage of the dry defatted femur. No significant increase in the calcium and fluoride content of the femur ash was observed. Fluoride intake offset the action of estrogen in rats. Fluoride decreased the breaking strength of the dry defatted femur and increased calcium and fluoride content of the bone ash, with no simultaneous increase in the phosphorus content. A significant increase in bone strength and calcium content of the femur ash occurred with growth.