Fluoride absorption: the influence of gastric acidity

The influence of gastric acidity on the absorption of intragastrically administered fluoride was investigated in rats. Intact animals were pretreated with atropine or cimetidine to reduce gastric acid secretion or were given fluoride in NaHCO3 to reduce the acidity of the gastric contents. Compared with pentagastrin-treated animals or animals that received fluoride in 0.1 N HCl, their rate of fluoride absorption was markedly reduced as judged by lower plasma fluoride concentrations and areas under the time-plasma concentration curves, especially during the first hour after dosing. In crossover studies with the stomachs isolated in situ, fluoride absorption was at least 50% faster from a pH 2.1 buffer compared with its absorption from a pH 7.1 buffer. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that fluoride is absorbed from the gastric lumen principally as the undissociated molecule, HF. The results may contribute to a more complete understanding of acute fluoride toxicity, the development of dental fluorosis and, perhaps, the use of fluoride in the treatment of osteoporosis.