[Metabolism of aluminum in rats]

In a study on metabolism of aluminium in rats, two doses of aluminium, 100 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg, were administered through gastric tube in SD rats to observe its storage, distribution in various tissues and 48-hour excretion in urine and feces. Results showed that storage and distribution of aluminium in various tissues were different in two doses during different time periods. Apparent absorption rates of aluminum were 19.07-19.45 and 3.50-7.72 percent and apparent retention rates were 16.89-20.67 and 3.76-13.48 percent 24 and 48 hours after its intake, respectively, in high dose group, and those in low dose group were 29.40-36.58 and 3.76-13.48 percent and 29.27-36.43 and 3.69-13.35 percent, respectively. In high dose group, contents of aluminium in liver 0.5 hours, in kidney one hour, in brain 48 hours after intake were higher than those in other time periods. The highest content of aluminum was in the liver, and the next in the brain and kidney, in low aluminium group, and that in brain of the rats 24 and 48 hours after intake in the high dose group were significantly higher than those in the low dose group (P < 0.01). It suggests that different doses of aluminium had certain affinity to the brain of rats. Cumulative excretion of aluminium in urine and feces accounted for 1.08-1.22 and 0.11-0.31, and 97.01-99.13 and 86.55-96.07 percent of the total intake, respectively, in the high and low dose groups.