Oxidative stress parameters in rats exposed to fluoride and caffeine

In our experiment, the 1-month effects of caffeine (Caff) and fluoride (F) administered separately and together on nitric oxide and total antioxidant status in serum, brain, liver and kidney of rats were investigated. Also, the influence of caffeine on fluoride excretion with urine was studied. Thirty adult male Wistar rats were divided into five equal groups of six each: (I) controls drinking tap water; (II) controls drinking tap water and receiving intragastrically 0.5 ml of tap water; (III) animals receiving 25 mg F/L in drinking water; (IV) animals receiving 4.7 mg Caff/kg bw/day; (V) animals receiving 25 mg F/L in drinking water and 4.7 mg Caff/kg bw/day. The applied fluoride caused increase of nitric oxide level (NO), intensified lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and decreased total antioxidant status in serum (TAS), brain, kidney and liver. Caffeine administered intragastrically, as an antioxidant, was relatively efficient in alleviating these adverse effects of F. In rats treated only with fluoride the F excretion in urine significantly increased in an exposure-time dependent-manner and did not change both in rats treated with Caff and co-exposed to Caff and F.