| rat drinking water |
Developmental |
About 40 albino adult Wistar rats (F0) were selected and maintained in cages. One male
(weighing 200–250 g) and three females (weighing 170–200 g) were housed in a cage for a
night and then the following day the vaginal plugs of each female were examined to
confirm pregnancy. Only 24 of 30 females were identified as pregnant, and these 24
pregnant females were selected to obtain the first-generation rats (F1). These 24 pregnant
rats were then divided into three groups of eight rats each and treated with the following
doses of fluoride: group I (control) was provided with tap water ad libitum (<1 ppm F),
group II was given 100-ppm fluoride in drinking water, group III was given 200-ppm
fluoride in drinking water during the gestation period.
The pups obtained were considered as F1. The mothers of experimental group continued
receiving fluoridated water throughout the lactation period, and thereafter the pups of
experimental group had free access to fluoridated water. One-month-old pups from each
group were used for assessing learning and memory by T-maze experiments, and thereafter
were euthanized for estimating the serum thyroid hormone levels, acetylcholine esterase
activity, fluoride levels, and histopathological studies in discrete brain regions viz., cerebral
cortex, cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and hippocampus.
On attaining maturity, some of the first-generation rats were selected to continue the
study on the basis of being healthy. They were then kept for breeding in a similar way as
their parental generation (F0). The pups obtained from the first generation were considered
as the second generation (F2). Some of the pups (F2) which were 1-month old from each
group were used for various studies as described above, the remaining pups were made to
mature while continuing their respective dose of fluoride. On maturity, these F2 were kept
for breeding in a similar manner as described above. The pups obtained from this F2 were
considered as the third generation (F3). One-month-old pups from each group were used for
the various studies as described above.; The protocol of this study was approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee,
Bangalore University, Bangalore, India. Healthy adult female albino Wistar rats, weighing
170–200 g and male rats weighing 200–250 g were procured from Sri Raghavendra
Enterprises, Bangalore, acclimated for a week, and maintained at room temperature of 25±
2°C with 12-h dark–light cycle. Animals were fed with standard rodent diet (Amruth feeds,
India). There was no water and light restriction throughout the experiment. |