Fluoride deposition in the aged human pineal gland

The purpose was to discover whether fluoride (F) accumulates in the aged human pineal gland, The aims were to determine (a) F-concentrations of the pineal gland (wet), corresponding muscle (wet) and bone (ash); (b) calcium-concentration of the pineal. Pineal, muscle and bone were dissected from 11 aged cadavers and assayed for F using the HMDS-facilitated diffusion, F-ion-specific electrode method. Pineal calcium was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Pineal and muscle contained 297 +/- 257 and 0.5 +/-0.4 mg F/kg wet weight, respectively; bone contained 2,037 +/-1,095 mg F/kg ash weight. The pineal contained 16,000 +/- 11,070 mg Ca/kg wet weight, There was a positive correlation between pineal F and pineal Ca (r = 0.73, p<0.02) but no correlation between pineal F and bone F. By old age, the pineal gland has readily accumulated F and its F/Ca ratio is higher than bone. Copyright <(c)> 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.