Effect of acute experimental aluminum poisoning on hematologic parameters

Abstract

Having in mind the presence of aluminum in industry, as well as in households, we wanted to define changes in the number of erythrocytes and aluminum content in the plasma and erythrocytes following acute aluminum poisoning under experimental conditions. The experiment involved gerbils which received intraperitoneally aluminum chloride solution at a dose of 3.7g per kg of body mass. The experimental group was sacrificed after 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours from the beginning of the experiment by cardiac punction or by abdominal artery punction. The control group was treated with saline, only. The number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin concentration were considerably reduced with respect to the control group, most likely as the result of cell membrane changes and reduced life cycle of erythrocytes. During the experiment, aluminum content in the plasma was increased in the first and second day of the experiment, it started to decline on the third day, while on the fourth day it returned to its original value, which proves again the existence of a special mechanism of "clearance" of aluminum in plasma.

Keywords

• aluminum poisoning
• erythrocytes
• plasma