[Excessive fluoride increases the expression of osteocalcin in the mouse testis]

To observe the influence of excessive fluoride on the levels of osteocalcin and testosterone in the testis of the male mouse.

Twenty-four C57BL/6J male mice were equally randomized into a normal control and a fluorosis model group, the former fed on distilled water while the latter on a solution of sodium fluoride (100 mg/L) in distilled water, both for 12 weeks. Then, the level of osteocalcin in the testis tissue was measured with the immunohistochemical streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) method and those of osteocalcin and testosterone in the serum determined by ELISA.

After 12 weeks of fluoride intervention, the level of serum osteocalcin was significantly higher in the fluorosis models than in the normal controls (［68.05 ± 5.32］ vs ［47.50 ± 5.73］ pg/mL, F = 11.901, P = 0.008), while that of testosterone markedly lower in the former than the latter group (［8.07 ± 1.35］ vs ［12.94 ± 3.09］ ng/mL, F = 2.313, P = 0.006). The results of immunohistochemical SP showed the expression of osteocalcin in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of the fluorosis models, which was evidently higher than in the normal controls.

Twelve-week intake of 100 mg/L fluoride solution can decrease the level of testosterone and increase the expression of osteocalcin in the testis of the male mouse.