Copper ameliorates fluoride toxicity in fluoride and molybdenum fed rabbits.

Hydrofluorosis is a major public health problem in India, which is aggravated by presence or absence of some minerals in water or food. Fluoride by itself or in combination with other elements like molybdenum (Mo) in diet or water changes excretion/retention of bone minerals. Sorghum and pearl millet grown and consumed in fluorosis endemic areas contained significantly higher amounts of Mo than that grown in non-fluorotic areas in India. Epidemiological studies show that the prevalence of genu valgum in areas with fluorosis is significantly higher in subjects, whose staple is sorghum (4%) as compared to those whose staple is rice (1%). High molybdenum ingestion leads to secondary copper deficiency due to increased loss of copper through urine. Copper plays an important role in collagen synthesis. In addition, a strong negative correlation exists between the concentration of copper in drinking water and the prevalence of genu valgum in areas endemic for fluorosis. Endemic genu valgum has been identified as a manifestation of chronic fluoride toxicity in some parts of India. This newer manifestation of skeletal fluorosis, seen mostly in adolescents with a marked predilection for males, is characterized by simultaneous occurrence of osteosclerosis of the spine and osteoporosis of the long bones. The present study was undertaken to know the protective effect of copper supplementation on fluoride toxicity aggravated by Mo ingestion in terms of body composition, serum cholesterol and triglyceride, organ weight ratio as well as retention or mobilization of bone related elements [calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), zine (Zn), and copper (Cu)] in hard tissue (ribs) in rabbits fed Fluoride (F), Fluoride+molybdenum (F+Mo) and Fluoride+molybdenum+Copper (F+Mo+Cu) for 6 months (n=6 each group). Total body weight was significantly lower in F+Mo group as compared to control (Figure 1). Further, F+Mo