Studies of aluminum in rat brain

The effects of high aluminum concentrations in rat brain were studied using(14)C autoradiography to measure the uptake of [(14)C]2deoxy-D-glucose ([(14)C]2DG) and microbeam proteon-induced X-ray emission (microPIXE) with a 20-μm resolution to measure concentrations of magnesium, aluminum, potassium, and calcium. The aluminum was introduced intracisternally in the form of aluminum tartrate (Al-T), and control animals were given sodium tartrate (Na-T). The(14)C was administered intravenously. The animals receiving Al-T developed seizure disorders and had pathological changes, which included cerebral cortical atrophy. The results showed that there was a decreased uptake of [(14)C]2DG in cortical regions in which increased aluminum levels were measured, i.e., there was a correlation between the aluminum in the rat brain and decreased brain glucose metabolism. A minimum detection limit of about 16 ppm (mass fraction) or 3×10(9) Al atoms was obtained for Al under the conditions employed.