ALUMINUM RETENTION BY AGED RATS FED ALUMINUM AND TREATED WITH DESFERRIOXAMINE

Our primary purpose was to assess the impact of chronic exposure to di etary aluminum on aging rats. Male rats were fed diets containing 0.4 or 36.8 mu mol Al/g diet for 8 months until 23 months of age. The agin g rats fed supplemental aluminum accumulated more aluminum in sera, ti bias, and kidneys than control rats, but accumulated similar concentra tions of aluminum in bone as young rats fed aluminum for short periods of time in previous studies. Although the rats had increased bone tur nover (as indicated by urinary hydroxyproline excretion) after 22 mont hs of age, the amount of bone turnover was not sufficient to explain t he urinary excretion of aluminum by the aged rats.