Twenty-nine timed pregnant dams were obtained on gestational day (GD) 8 (vaginal plug = day 1) and individually housed throughout gestation and lactation. At birth, litters were culled to 10 pups/dam with an equal number of males and females whenever possible. The diet of the dams consisted of Purina Rat Chow (Formulab), and the pups received Certified Purina Rat Chow (5002) after weaning on GD 21. Drinking water for both was deionized water throughout the study. On GDs 14-18 or 17-19, experimental dams (n = 7 and 9, respectively) received SC injections of 0.13 mg/kg sodium fluoride (in saline) two or three times daily (a total of 9 injections per group) at least 4 h apart. Control dams (13 total) received SC injection of an equal volume/ body weight of saline on the same gestational days to match each experimental group. This route and concentration of fluoride exposure produces peak plasma fluoride levels of 0.15- 0.20 ppm which return to control levels within 4 h in nongravid females (4). Beyond the prenatal period, these pups received no other experimental fluoride treatment.

female sprague-dawley dams

HAWC