Fluoride effects on bone formation and mineralization are influenced by genetics

A variation in bone response to fluoride (F(-)) exposure has been attributed to genetic factors. Increasing fluoride doses (0 ppm, 25 ppm, 50 ppm, 100 ppm) for three inbred mouse strains with different susceptibilities to developing dental enamel fluorosis (A/J, a "susceptible" strain; SWR/J, an "intermediate" strain; 129P3/J, a "resistant" strain) had different effects on their cortical and trabecular bone mechanical properties. In this paper, the structural and material properties of the bone were evaluated to explain the previously observed changes in mechanical properties.

This study assessed the effect of increasing fluoride doses on the bone formation, microarchitecture, mineralization and microhardness of the A/J, SWR/J and 129P3/J mouse strains. Bone microarchitecture was quantified with microcomputed tomography and strut analysis. Bone formation was evaluated by static histomorphometry. Bone mineralization was quantified with backscattered electron (BSE) imaging and powder X-ray diffraction. Microhardness measurements were taken from the vertebral bodies (cortical and trabecular bones) and the cortex of the distal femur.

Fluoride treatment had no significant effect on bone microarchitecture for any of the strains. All three strains demonstrated a significant increase in osteoid formation at the largest fluoride dose. Vertebral body trabecular bone BSE imaging revealed significantly decreased mineralization heterogeneity in the SWR/J strain at 50 ppm and 100 ppm F(-). The trabecular and cortical bone mineralization profiles showed a non-significant shift towards higher mineralization with increasing F(-) dose in the three strains. Powder X-ray diffraction showed significantly smaller crystals for the 129P3/J strain, and increased crystal width with increasing F(-) dose for all strains. There was no effect of F(-) on trabecular and cortical bone microhardness.

Fluoride treatment had no significant effect on bone microarchitecture in these three strains. The increased osteoid formation and decreased mineralization heterogeneity support the theory that F(-) delays mineralization of new bone. The increasing crystal width with increasing F(-) dose confirms earlier results and correlates with most of the decreased mechanical properties. An increase in bone F(-) may affect the mineral-organic interfacial bonding and/or bone matrix proteins, interfering with bone crystal growth inhibition on the crystallite faces as well as bonding between the mineral and organic interface. The smaller bone crystallites of the 129P3/J (resistant) strain may indicate a stronger organic/inorganic interface, reducing crystallite growth rate and increasing interfacial mechanical strength.