Levels of Trace Elements in Muscle and Kidney Tissues of Sheep with Fluorosis

In this study, we report the concentrations of four trace elements in muscle and kidney tissues of sheep grown in an area with endemic fluorosis. Fifteen 3- to 4-year-old fluorotic sheep were selected for the study. Ten age-matched sheep with no sign of fluorosis were used as the control group. The animals were killed in a slaughterhouse in the village of Doğubeyazıt, located in the Ağrı province of Eastern Turkey, where kidney and muscle tissue samples were surgically obtained to be analyzed for copper, zinc, nickel, and iron. In muscle tissue of the fluorotic sheep, the copper levels were higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05). In the case of zinc, its levels were significantly higher in the controls than in the sheep with fluorosis (p < 0.01). No statistically significant differences were found in the muscle contents of nickel and zinc (p > 0.05). Compared to controls, the concentrations of zinc (0.01), iron (p < 0.05), and nickel (p < 0.05) were significantly higher in kidney tissues of fluorotic sheep, but there were no significant differences of the copper levels (p > 0.05). These results suggest that fluorosis significantly alters the mineral metabolism in muscle and kidney resulting in higher levels of mineral accumulation and excretion caused by fluoride intoxication. Further research shall focus on the enzymatic and metabolic activities of these and other trace elements.