Renal damage associated with silicon compounds in dogs.

A number of oral preparations of various forms of silicon were fed to young adult Beagle dogs and young rats of both sexes for a period of four weeks. During the test period the animals were observed for clinical symptoms and urine and blood measurements were made. At the end of the experimental period all animals were sacrificed and subjected to a complete necropsy and histopathologic study. Polydipsia, polyuria, and soft stools in some animals fed sodium silicate and magnesium trisilicate were the only untoward clinical signs observed; all clinical tests on blood and urine were within normal limits. Gross and microscopic renal lesions were observed in dogs fed sodium silicate and magnesium trisilicate but no changes were seen in those animals fed silicon dioxide or aluminium silicate. Lesions were not observed in any of the rats. In view of the large number of commercial preparations which contain sodium silicate and magnesium trisilicate used in human medicine, these compounds deserve further study.