Behavioral teratology in rats exposed to fluoride

A study was conducted of behavioral differences in Wistar rat pups born of dams drinking water containing 1.0, 5.0, and 25 mg F/L from the day of conception. A control group drank tap water containing 0.6 mg F/L. Among 18 litters in the 25 mg/L group, four of the dams failed to produce enough milk for their pups, causing them to starve. Although no differences or abnormalities in physical development were observed, differences in motor coordination, auditory reaction, pain sensitivity, and other cognitive responses, some statistically significant, varying with time and F exposure, were noted, especially among the pups in the 25 mg/L group. Brain slices in the 25 mg/L group also showed a significantly lower average cerebral cortex thickness than in the control group (10.97 mu m vs. 11.70 mu m).