HISTOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL EFFECT OF FLUORIDE ON CEREBRAL CORTEX OF THE BRAIN

Selemun Hagos, Girma Seyoum, Desta Gebeya and Abraha Teklay

ABSTRACT

Fluoride is an ion that is derived from the highly electronegative fluorine gas. It is omnipresent in the environment and has been added to drinking water supplies with a recommended dose. Drinks, tooth pastes, mouth rinses, dietary supplements and foods are also considered as sources of fluorides. This paper reviews the scientific literatures linking fluoride with its effect on histology and function of cerebral cortex of the brain. The literatures were assessed by focusing on the dose of fluoride, duration of exposure, type of experimental animals used to measure the effect of fluoride. In this review the role of fluoride in region specific and sub-cellular distribution of the brain with the relation of its neurotoxicity is highlighted. The literatures reviewed in the present paper used mice, rats and rat offspring as experimental animals. From the literatures reviewed in the present paper, fluoride showed to be neurotoxic chemical which affects the biochemical content of brain, cause weight loss, cause neurodegeneration, histological alternation in hippocampus and cerebral cortex of the brain, disrupting behavioral activities and cause reduction in cognitive and memory functions.

Keywords: Fluoride, Cerebral cortex, Histopathological effect, Weight loss, Biochemical change and Neurobehavioral toxicity.