ORGAN DISTRIBUTION AND URINARY-EXCRETION OF ALUMINUM ADMINISTERED WITH FOOD-ADDITIVES IN MICE AND THEIR RELATION TO IN-VITRO CHEMICAL-STATEIN SERUM

The relationship between the in vivo and in vitro behavior of aluminum (Al) was studied in the presence of food additives and the structural ly related compound, maltol, kojic acid, gallic acid, and methyl galla te. Aluminum chloride was administered intraperitoneally into male mic e with ligands at a dose of 0.5 mmol Al/kg (Al: ligand=1:1 and 1:3 mol ar ratio). When Al was administered with maltol and kojic acid in a 1: 1 molar ratio, Al was mainly transferred to the liver and spleen by 3 h and the level of urinary excretion of Al was low. When control mouse serum was spiked with Al as Al-maltol (1:1) and Al-kojic acid (1:1) m ixtures in vitro, it was detected in the high-molecular-weight (HMW) f raction including globulin and in the low-molecular-weight (LMW) fract ion. The in vivo and in vitro behavior of Al in Al-maltol and Al-kojic acid were similar to those of Al chloride. When Al was injected as Al -maltol (1:3), Al-gallic acid (1:1 and 1:3), and Al-methyl gallate (1: 1) mixtures, it was also distributed to the kidney within 3 h and the urinary excretion of Al was on a higher level. Aluminum added to contr ol mouse serum as these Al-ligand mixtures in vitro was detected only in the LMW fraction. The results were interpreted based on the stabili ty constants of the Al-ligand complexes.