Abstract
Although fluoride is considered to neurotoxic, very few investigations are available on fluoride exposure as a possible risk factor for autism. The present study compared the neurotoxicity in propionic acid (PA)-induced rodent models of autism with fluoride in prenatal bee pollen-protected and unprotected newborns. The study was performed on five groups of neonatal male Western albino rats. Rats in group I were a control group and received only phosphate-buffered saline, rats in group II received a neurotoxic dose of PA (250 mg/kg for 3 days) and served as an autistic model, group III received a chronic dose of sodium fluoride (NaF) (3-5 mg/kg for 30 days), group IV were prenatal bee pollen-treated neonates (250 mg/kg bw from 0-23 days of gestation + 7 days postpartum), and finally group V were prenatal bee pollen-treated neonates (250 mg/kg bw from 0-23 days of gestation + 7 days postpartum) toxicated with NaF (3-5 mg/kg for 30 days). The results of the PA acid and NaF treatments showed almost the same trend with a significant increase (P <= 0.001) in lipid peroxides and significant decreases (P <= 0.001) in glutathione, catalase, and vitamin C as compared to the control group. Potassium was significantly decreased (P <= 0.010) in the PA group with no outstanding effects in the other groups. The bee pollen-protected neonatal group showed perfection in all the tested parameters. Our results argue for further investigation of fluoride as a risk factor for autism.