Life Sciences, Vol. 41, pp. 1127-1131 Pergamon Journals Printed in the U.S.A. THE EFFECTS OF ALUMINIUM INGESTION ON REPRODUCTION AND POSTNATAL SURVIVAL IN RATS J.L.Domingo I, ~.L.Paternain I, J.M.Llobet I and J.Corbella ILaboratory of Toxicology and Biochemistry, Faculty o~ Medicine, C/ San Llorenq 21, Reus and ~Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, C/ Casanova 143, Barcelona, Spain. (Received in final form June 17, 1987) Summary Aluminium nitrate was tested for its effects on reproduction, gestation, and lactation in Sprague-Dawley rats, at dosages of O, 180, 360 and 720 mg/kg/day. Mature male rats were treated orally for 60 days prior to mating with mature virgin female rats treated for 14 days prior to mating with treatmentcontinuing throughout mating, gestation, parturition, and weaning of the litters. One-half of the dams in each group were killed on day 13 of gestation and the remaining dams were allowed to deliver and wean their offspring. Postnatal development was monitored. No adverse effects on fertility or general reproductive parameters were evident at doses employed in these studies. However, the survival ratios were higher for the control group. Moreover, a dose-dependent delay in the growth of the living young could be observed in aluminium treated groups. Therefore, it would seem that high amounts of aluminium should not be ingested during the periods of gestation. A1uminium is no longer considered a non-toxic element. During the last 15 years, exposure to aluminium has been hypothesized to be part of the etiology of several serious conditions, i.e., dialysis dementia, dialysis osteodystrophy, AIzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Guam (1,2,3,4). Aluminium intoxication is an iatrogenic condition encountered in patients with chronic rena! insufficiency who are being maintained on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis and/or are taking aluminium-containing phosphate binders (5,6,7,8). Apsorption of aluminium from the gastrointestinal tract constitutes the main route of entry for this metal into the body. Although aluminium comprises 5% of the earth's crust and is ubiquitous, it would appear that only 2 to 3 mg are ingested as a contaminant in food sources (9). Only a small fraction of ingested aluminium is absorbed. However, if renal function is impaired, ability to excrete absorbed aluminium may be markedly compromised and the body burden of aluminium increased. Even individuals with normal renal function, when given large parenteral loads of aluminium, are unable fully to eliminate the administered aluminium (10,11). Moreover, the consumption of an aluminium-based product to treat an ulcer or to control hyperphosphatemia due to renal impairment can result in a higher daily aluminium intake (more than 500 mg in 0024-3205/87 $3.00 + .o0 Copyright (c) 1987 Pergamon Journals Ltd.