Susheela Kumaran Andezhath

Fluorosis Foundation of India · Health Sciences

Anemia highly prevalent in pregnancy in India and other Asian countries. Anemia prevalence In spit of Iron and Folic acid supplementation . India could not achieve MDG5 & 4 by 2015 and is in the bottom of the ladder along with many African nations. Major factor responsible for the issue - an environmental toxin, endocrine disrupter I.e. Fluoride. P...

The objective of this communication is to disseminate scientific and technical information for early diagnosis of Fluorosis; recent developments in care and management of patients of Fluorosis. Body fluids collected from patients suspected of Fluorosis referred by hospitals, samples of drinking water used by them are the materials that have been in...

Fluoride is used increasingly in a variety of industries in India. Emission of fluoride dust and fumes from the smelters of primary aluminum producing industries is dissipated in the work environment and poses occupational health hazards. To study the prevalence of health complaints and its association with fluoride level in body fluids of smelter...

Reviewed by HC Moolenburgh b Within a few years after the discovery in the early 1930s that fluoride in drinking water and other sources was the cause of endemic dental mottling and skeletal crippling, the distinguished Danish physician and health officer Kaj Roholm published his landmark treatise, Fluorine Intoxication: A clini-cal-hygienic study...

Anaemia in pregnancy and low birth weight babies, a serious public health problem, troubles India and several other nations. This article reports the results of a approach to address the issue. Women up to 20 week pregnancy with haemoglobin (Hb) 9.0 g/dl or less, those with urinary fluoride beyond 1.0 mg/l and not suffering from any other ailments,...

A program emphasizing a greatly reduced intake of fluoride and the inclusion of essential nutrients in the daily diet during pregnancy led to a striking increase in hemoglobin, an improved body mass index, fewer low birth weight babies, and reduced numbers of pre-term deliveries.

Abstract—The cholinoacetyltransferase activity (CAT) in diaphragm of mice of Bar Harbor strain (129 ReJ dy/dy) with muscular dystrophy was significantly lower than that of phenotypically normal litter mates (129 ReJ dy/+). CAT, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH) activities were found identical in adrenal gland and brain homogen...

: Ninety children with dental fluorosis, aged 7–18, living in fluoride endemic, non-iodine deficient areas of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India, where iodized salt has been promoted for over a decade, were investigated, along with 21 children in two control groups without dental fluorosis living in non-endemic areas, to determine their...

The objective of the present communication is to address the issues concerning reversal of fluoride induced cell injury and disease (i.e. fluorosis) through the elimination of fluoride and consumption of a diet containing essential nutrients and antioxidants. Humans afflicted with fluorosis, as a result of consuming fluoride contaminated water or f...

India is one of 21 nations with serious health problems due to consumption of fluoride-contaminated drinking water. An estimated 62 million people in India (in 16 of the 32 states) are affected with dental, skeletal, and non-skeletal forms of fluorosis and associated health complaints. Even children of the age of 8 to 10 years have been crippled du...

The present investigation was carried out to provide biochemical and ultrastructural evidences on the aberrations that appear in teeth in human Dental Fluorosis (DF), a condition caused by excess intake of fluoride. Human fluorosed teeth were obtained from the OPD of Madras Dental College, Chennai. Normal tooth samples were also collected from pati...

India is among the 23 nations around the globe, where health problems occur due to the consumption of fluoride contaminated water. An estimated 62 million people in India in 17 out of the 32 states are affected with dental, skeletal and/or non-skeletal fluorosis. The extent of fluoride contamination of water varies from 1.0 to 48.0 mg/l. An innovat...

India is one of 21 nations with serious health problems due to consumption of fluoride-contaminated drinking water. An estimated 62 million people in India (in 16 of the 32 states) are affected with dental, skeletal, and non-skeletal forms of fluorosis and associated health complaints. Even children of the age of 8 to 10 years have been crippled du...

A prospective case-controlled study was performed to evaluate the gastrointestinal symptoms and mucosal abnormalities occurring in patients with osteofluorosis. Ten patients with documented osteofluorosis and ten age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were included in the study. Clinical evaluation, real-time ultrasound, and upper gastrointestinal...

The present study focuses on serum testosterone concentrations in patients with skeletal fluorosis, in order to assess the hormonal status in fluoride toxicity. Serum testosterones were compared for patients afflicted with skeletal fluorosis (n = 30) and healthy males consuming water containing less than 1 ppm fluoride (Control 1, n = 26) and a sec...

We evaluated the safety of ciprofloxacin administered in a dose of 15-25 mg/kg for 9-16 days, in a case series of 58 children who were between 8 months and 13 years of age. No arthropathy was observed during therapy and follow-up. Blinded evaluation of 22 pairs of nuclear magnetic resonance scans obtained before and between day 10 and 15 of therapy...

This study used light and scanning electron microscopy to observe the effect of chronic fluoride toxicity on the structure of the ductus epididymis, testis and spermatozoa in rabbit. The rabbits were treated with 10 mg NaF/kg body weight/day for 20 and 23 months. Serum fluoride was estimated by the fluoride ion-specific electrode method. Fluoride l...

ORAL PRESENTATION OF THE RSEARCH PAPER BY ARBIND KUMAR

Circulating levels of haptoglobin and C-reactive protein were studied in patients of skeletal fluorosis and compared with two types of controls. The first type of control included normal healthy individuals consuming water containing permissible levels of fluoride (up to 1 mg/L). The second type of control included individuals consuming water conta...

In a prospective case controlled study, we evaluated the adverse effects of long-term fluoride ingestion on the gastrointestinal tract. Ten patients with otosclerosis who were receiving sodium fluoride 30 mg/day for a period of 3-12 months, and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were included. They were all evaluated clinically and subjecte...

OBJECTIVE: To address the role of fluoride in causing defects to spermatids and epididymal spermatozoa. METHODS: Male rabbits were treated with 10 mg NaF/kg body weight daily for 18 months and maintained under identical laboratory conditions along with the control rabbits not given NaF. Testis and epididymis (caput) were investigated for ultrastru...

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To address the role of fluoride in causing defects to spermatids and epididymal spermatozoa. METHODS: Male rabbits were treated with 10 mg NaF/kg body weight daily for 18 months and maintained under identical laboratory conditions along with the control rabbits not given NaF. Testis and epididymis (caput) were investigated for...

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To address the role of fluoride in causing defects to spermatids and epididymal spermatozoa. METHODS: Male rabbits were treated with 10 mg NaF/kg body weight daily for 18 months and maintained under identical laboratory conditions along with the control rabbits not given NaF. Testis and epididymis (caput) were investigated for...

The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of chronic fluoride toxicity on calcium metabolism. Rabbits (n = 10) were orally administered an aqueous solution of 10 mg NaF/kg body wt daily for 18 months. Equal numbers (n = 10) of age-, sex- and weight-matched rabbits kept under identical laboratory conditions, but not treated, with NaF...

The present study has been carried out to investigate the effect of fluoride toxicity on the morphology as well as inorganic chemical constituents of rabbit teeth. Rabbits were administered sodium fluoride at a dose of 10 mg NaF/kg body weight every 24 h for 18 and 23 months. The incisor and molar teeth (whole tooth) were investigated for fluoride,...

A prospective case controlled study was conducted to evaluate the role of fluoride as a possible aetiological factor for non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD). Twenty patients with NUD and 10 age and sex matched healthy controls were subjected to clinical evaluation, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsies from the gastric antrum and duodenum. The antral...

Fluoride was orally administered to rabbits at 10 mg NaF/kg body weight for 18 or 29 months. The animals were then killed and the structure of the testis, epididymis and vas deferens studied under light and scanning electron microscopes. In animals treated for 29 months, the spermatogenic cells in the seminiferous tubules were disrupted, degenerate...

Fluoride is known to cause ectopic calcification. The biochemical mechanism(s) involved in the initiation of calcification is not understood and the accompanying ultrastructural changes remain to be elucidated. Therefore, certain relevant parameters have been investigated in the aorta of rabbits administered fluoride, 10 mg NaF/kg body wt, every 24...

The circulating levels of sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were measured in 69 patients with spinal disorders of orthopaedic interest (ankylosing spondylitis 17, osteofluorosis 6, idiopathic backache 10, osteoarthrosis 16, osteoporosis 20). The serum GAG levels showed no statistically significant change from contr...

Effect of high fluoride ingestion on the tooth matrix glycosaminoglycans was studied in rabbits administered 10 mg NaF/kg body weight orally at 24-h intervals for a period of 9 months. Fluoride-treated tooth showed a significant reduction in glycosaminoglycan content as compared to the normal tooth. Sephadex G-75 chromatography and DEAE-cellulose i...

The effects of chronic fluoride toxicity on duodenal mucosa of rabbits were investigated using scanning electronmicroscope on materials obtained from rabbits subjected to oral administration of sodium fluoride at the dose of 10 mg/kg body weight per day for a period of 24 months. Significant morphological abnormalities were observed in the mucosa o...

The effect of fluoride on the composition, molecular weight and charge density of the glycosaminoglycan isomers in the cancellous bone of the iliac crest region of the pelvic girdle was studied in rabbits treated with fluoride for 3, 9 and 16 months and the corresponding age-matched controls. With advancing age the chondroitin-6-sulphate concentrat...

Fluorosed human teeth have lower concentrations of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) disaccharides and an increased dermatan sulphate content. Teeth from subjects with a high fluoride intake have a higher ratio of 4-sulphated to 6-sulphated GAGs. Increased dermatan sulphate may be an important factor in the clinical manifestations of fluorosis.

In the present study, the role of sodium fluoride on antibody formation in rabbits is assessed. Sixteen female albino rabbits were divided into four groups and were treated as follows: Group I: Animals immunized with transferrin and used as controls for group II; Group II: Animals immunized with transferrin and administered orally NaF (10 mg/kg bod...

Effect of NaF on membrane function was examined with reference to metal ion transport in rabbit's erythrocytes. Activities of membranal enzymes [Na+ + K+ − ATPase & Mg++ - ATPase], plasma enzymes [Acid and Alkaline Phosphatases] and concentrations of Ca, Mg, Na and K were estimated in erythrocyte membrane, hemolysate and plasma. A 17% decrease in N...

Ingestion of fluoride in excess leads to its accumulation in the erythrocyte membrane. The biochemical and structural abnormalities detected are reported in this communication. Blood samples of rabbits administered with 10 mg NaF/kg body weight at 24 hour intervals for varying durations were investigated. Human subjects afflicted with hydrofluorosi...

Sodium fluoride was administered to rabbits through the intragastric route at the rate of 10 mg/kg every day for a period of 8 months. Cortical bone from the diphyseal region of the femur was studied morphologically with a scanning electron microscope, and significant structural changes in collagen fiber were observed in the fluoride-treated animal...

1. Urinary levels of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and hydroxyproline from normal and fluoride treated rabbits were estimated. The hydroxylysine content of serum and urine of rabbits after excessive ingestion of fluoride was also investigated. 2. There was a progressive decrease in GAG content, reduction in hydroxylysine, whereas the hydroxyproline cont...

Although the effect of fluoride ingestion on the blood cell profile in experimental animals was studied earlier by HIRA0 (1972) who pointed out changes in hemoglobin content, population of erythrocytes, reticulocytes, platelets, leucocyte, and hematocrit, the information is inadequate to provide a scientific rationale for the wide spectrum of devia...

The present study on the cellular and histochemical characteristics of osteoid formed in iliac crest bone during fluoride poisoning in rabbits was carried out as there is no information available to date either on its structural or biochemical characteristics. Osteoid formation in bone is prevalent both in fluorosis and in sodium fluoride therapy f...

The levels of sialic acid and glycosaminoglycans were explored in the sera of rabbit and human subjects who ingested fluoride and had clinical manifestation of fluorosis. Changes observed in the level of these chemical constituents in sera possibly reflect changes occurring in calcified and noncalcified tissues due to fluoride intoxication. The rat...

Following excessive ingestion of fluoride by rabbits it was found that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase activities in erythrocytes are inhibited by fluoride ions. The extent of inhibition is directly proportional to the concentration of fluoride in circulation.

Glycosaminoglycans from rabbit iliac crest was isolated and characterised. Glycosaminoglycans isolated from iliac crest reveals the presence of chondroitin sulphate A, chondroitin sulphate C and hyaluronic acid. However, glycosaminoglycans isolated from fluoride treated rabbit iliac crest shows the presence of dermatan sulphate (or chondroitin sulp...

Adenyl cyclase activity and fluoride content were investigated in various tissues of adult rabbits given NaF (10 mg/kg body wt./day) orally for 6 months. The activity of adenyl cyclase increased significantly in bone, liver, and kidney, whereas it was unchanged in skeletal muscle following fluoride ingestion. The levels of fluoride were elevated in...

Although it is established that excessive ingestion of fluoride leads to its deposition in tissues, it is not fully understood how much of it is deposited, how much is excreted and what quantity of fluoride is in circulation. Whether the rate of uptake and retention of fluoride is the same or different with regard to different tissues is not known....

The noncollagenous constituents, mainly the glycosaminoglycans, are also important as collagenous constituents in understanding fluoride action because the noncollagenous constituents provide the milieu/environment for calcification of collagen fibers. The noncollagenous constituents have been explored in rabbit cortical and cancellous bone after i...

The levels of sialic acid and glycosaminoglycans (GAG) have been explored in the serum of fluoresced human subjects. The changes observed in the level of these chemical constituents in the serum possibly reflect the changes occurring in cancellous bone, cortical bone and in other tissues due to fluoride ingestion. The sialic acid content versus GAG...

Rabbits in two groups were given different doses of sodium fluoride i.e. low dose (10 mg NaF/kg body weight) and high dose (50 mg NaF/kg body weight). Blood was drawn from both groups on certain specific days after fluoride administration. The two different doses of sodium fluoride gave different response with regards to the fibrinogen levels in bl...

Fluoride poisoning is known to cause a debilitating condition clinically referred to as Fluorisis. The present investigation on the experimental animal model has been carried out to collect information on the precise nature of fluoride action, with special reference to collagen biosynthesis. Rabbits subjected to Fluoride poisoning for varying time...

The present report deals with the effect of excessive ingestion of fluoride on glycosaminoglycan (GAG). Increase in fluoride deposition in bone, and in circulating levels of fluoride in serum, are also reported. Among the 3 constituents of GAG investigated; hexosamine, uronic acid and sulphate, the content remained unaltered except for sulphate.

Cortical and cancellous rabbit bone exposed to 10 mg of sodium fluoride/ kg body weight daily were analyzed for hydroxyproline, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Molar ratio of magnesium/calcium was also determined. Results show that fluoride poisoning produces significant changes in both organic and inorganic constituents of bone. The effect...

Twenty-four patients from India, had juvenile muscular atrophy localized to the upper extremities. The condition characteristically affects young men and is not familial. Atrophy is limited to the hand and forearm muscles, with slow progression for two to three years after which it seems to be stationary. The condition is associated with "tremor-li...

The alpha motor neuron population in dystrophic chicken (line 307) spinal cord was studied. The results indicated a significant increase in the number of alpha motor neurons in the brachial segment. This segment of the spinal cord is responsible for innervating the major flight musculature in the chicken. The findings are significant and have impli...

Rabbits were given 50 mg sodium fluoride/kg body weight through the intragastric route every 24 hours for a total period of 200 days. The left adrenal gland was removed and its total weight recorded. Adrenal glands from rabbits sacrificed at varying intervals for other investigative purposes were also collected and their weights recorded. The data...

The histoenzymic and ultrastructural changes in skeletal muscle of rabbits given sodium fluoride and in human skeletal muscle obtained from patients afflicted with fluorosis demonstrate that, in fluorosis, the skeletal muscle is directly involved. Investigations, carried out to explore the interaction of fluoride ions with the structure and functio...

Adenyl cyclase activity in normal and Duchenne dystrophic muscle was assayed using a radiochemical method. In dystrophic muscle, the enzyme activity is reduced. The reduced enzyme activity and its adverse effects on energy metabolism in dystrophic patients are discussed.

The cholinoacetyltransferase activity (CAT) in diaphragm of mice of Bar Harbor strain (129 ReJ dy/dy) with muscular dystrophy was significantly lower than that of phenotypically normal litter mates (129 ReJ dy/+). CAT, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine β hydroxylase (DβH) activities were found identical in adrenal gland and brain homogenates of n...

The levels of phosphocreatine kinase (CKP) in the sera of rabbits treated with sodium fluoride were biochemically determined. The results indicate an enhanced level of serum CPK. Such an increase of CPK in the serum constitutes an index of degeneration of muscle fibers and of the highly permeable plasma membrane. The findings from the current inves...

: An innovative approach for fluorosis mitigation in endemic areas of fluorosis in India is developed, due to the previous major failures met with, and due to the subsequent corrections made which led to reasonable success. The strategy involves networking between health, education and public health engineering department personnel besides the NGOs...

An estimated 25 million people in the 15 states of India where the drinking water is naturally contaminated with fluoride (1-40 ppm) are affected by serious health problems. The health complaints have a wide spectrum affecting the bones, teeth, muscles, blood vessels, red blood cells, the gastrointestinal mucosa and other soft tissues. Fluorosis ca...

In murine dystrophy the content of triglycerides and free fatty acids (FFA) in muscle tissue is much greater than in normal mice (Shull and Alfin-Slater, 1958). It has been suggested that the FFA derived from several sources get accumulated in the dystrophic muscle because they are not utilized in the normal way for energy release and that the accu...

A superficial crush lesion was induced in one triceps muscle in a series of 6 normal mice and in 8 dystrophic mice of the Bar Harbor strain aged between 2 and 4 months. The histological and histochemical changes occurring in the injured area were studied following removal of the affected muscle and of the comparable control muscle from the opposite...

Observations on transverse sections of whole tibialis anterior, triceps and soleus muscles obtained soon after death from 3 previously normal individuals aged 5, 8 and 19 years respectively who had died of head injury have shown that utilising histochemical methods for demonstrating succinic dehydrogenase can successfully distinguish histochemical...

Histological and histochemical studies have been carried out on frozen transverse sections of whole muscles obtained from 3 to 4 month-old dystrophic mice of the Bar Harbor strain 129 and from control mice (littermate controls). Estimations of free fatty acid content in pectoral and abdominal muscle, heart, liver, brain and adipose tissue have been...

The respiratory quotient (R.Q.) of the rat diaphragm has been separately obtained for the three component regions of the diaphragm (dorsal 0.753, ventral 0.941, and lateral 1.143). It is pointed out that the generally accepted value of 0.7 for the rat diaphragm therefore cannot be regarded as a true index indicating the nature of the fuel metaboliz...

The respiratory quotient (R.Q.) of the rat diaphragm has been separately obtained for the three component regions of the diaphragm (dorsal 0.753, ventral 0.941, and lateral 1.143). It is pointed out that the generally accepted value of 0.7 for the rat diaphragm therefore cannot be regarded as a true index indicating the nature of the fuel metaboliz...

1. The nature and distribution of two types of fibers in the rat diaphragm with respect to its dorsal (vertebral), lateral (costal), and the ventral (sternal) regions, have been studied.2. Histochemical as well as quantitative studies on the fat and glycogen contents and the enzymic activity (lipase and succinic dehydrogenase) have been made in the...