[Excessive fluoride increases the expression of osteocalcin in the mouse testis].

Objective: To observe the influence of excessive fluoride on the levels of osteocalcin and testosterone in the testis of the male mouse.

Methods: Twenty-four C57BL/6J male mice were equally randomized into a normal control and a fluorosis model group, the former fed on distilled water while the latter on a solution of sodium fluoride (100 mg/L) in distilled water, both for 12 weeks. Then, the level of osteocalcin in the testis tissue was measured with the immunohistochemical streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) method and those of osteocalcin and testosterone in the serum determined by ELISA.

Results: After 12 weeks of fluoride intervention, the level of serum osteocalcin was significantly higher in the fluorosis models than in the normal controls (［68.05 ± 5.32］ vs ［47.50 ± 5.73］ pg/mL, F = 11.901, P = 0.008), while that of testosterone markedly lower in the former than the latter group (［8.07 ± 1.35］ vs ［12.94 ± 3.09］ ng/mL, F = 2.313, P = 0.006). The results of immunohistochemical SP showed the expression of osteocalcin in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of the fluorosis models, which was evidently higher than in the normal controls.

Conclusions: Twelve-week intake of 100 mg/L fluoride solution can decrease the level of testosterone and increase the expression of osteocalcin in the testis of the male mouse.