Effect of fluoride in parameters related to insulin sensitivity and apoptosis of ² cells

• Grant number: 18/00352-8
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2018
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Social and Preventive Dentistry
• Principal researcher: Ana Carolina Magalhães
• Grantee: Nathalia Rabelo Buzalaf
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Fluoride (F) is a relevant ion in Public Health because of its ability to prevent dental caries. However, chronic exposure to high fluoride levels can cause dental and skeletal fluorosis. After absorption, F is distributed to the whole body and is stored mainly in calcified tissues (and in soft tissues to lesser extent). Its excretion occurs mainly via renal system, despite many molecular mechanisms involved in F metabolism are not precisely known so far. In the last decades, several studies attempted to unravel the influence of F in several metabolic pathways, since this ion inhibits several enzymes. Some studies have reported that chronic administration of F causes insulin resistance, despite recent studies revealed increased insulin sensitivity when low doses of F are given to rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes or to nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. Thus, the aim of the present study is to investigate, in NOD mice, the effect of exposure to F from drinking water in parameters related to insulin sensitivity and apoptosis of ² cells. For this purpose, 40 female NOD mice will be obtained and divided into 2 groups and treated for 30 weeks with drinking water containing 0 (control) or 10 ppm F (as NaF) After the treatment, the animals will be euthanized. F will be analyzed in plasma, liver and gastrocnemius muscle. Blood glucose and insulin will be evaluated. Morphologic analysis, analysis of insulin expression, apoptosis of ² cells and determination of insulitis will be performed in pancreas. After checking for normality and homogeneity, the data will be submitted to the appropriate statistical test (p <0.05). (AU)