Red cell membrane alterations in human chronic fluoride toxicity.

Red cells from humans exposed chronically to toxic levels of fluoride through drinking water showed significant increase in lipid peroxidation and membranous cholesterol and phospholipids. Additionally, electrophoretic patterns of ghost membrane proteins revealed the presence of a new band in the range of congruent to 66 Kd and increase in the high molecular weight protein and predominance of bands with a molecular weight of congruent to 93 Kd and congruent to 20 Kd. The activities of total, Na(+)-K(+)-, Mg(2+)- and Ca(2+)-ATPases were significantly decreased in the red cell ghosts of fluorotic patients.