LACK OF MATERNAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY IN MICE GIVEN HIGH-DOSES OF ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE AND ASCORBIC-ACID DURING GESTATION

The present study was conducted to assess if the concurrent ingestion of high doses of aluminium hydroxide and ascorbic acid might result in maternal and developmental toxicity in mice. Three groups of pregnant Swiss mice were given by gavage daily doses of aluminium hydroxide (3 00 mg/kg), ascorbic acid (85 mg/kg), or aluminium hydroxide (300 mg/kg ) concurrent with ascorbic acid 85 (mg/kg) on gestational days 6-15. A fourth group of animals received distilled water and served as contro l group. Dams were killed on gestation day 18 and foetuses were examin ed for external, internal, and skeletal abnormalities. The reproductiv e data did not show embryotoxic or foetotoxic effects in any group. No gross, internal, or skeletal malformations or variations related to t he different treatments were found. There were no significant differen ces between control and treated groups on the aluminium levels in mate rnal liver and bone as well as in whole body foetuses, whereas alumini um concentrations were significantly higher in placenta and kidney of dams receiving aluminium hydroxide and aluminium hydroxide plus ascorb ic acid than in those from the control group. Although in this study a luminium hydroxide was given at doses higher than those usually consum ed by pregnant women, no signs of maternal or developmental toxicity w ere observed when the compound was given alone or concurrently with hi gh doses of ascorbic acid.