Acute sodium fluoride toxicity in the rat kidney.

Acute sodium fluoride toxicity was studied histologically and histochemically in the rat kidney. The doses given subcutaneously by a single injection were 10, 12.5 and 15 mg/100 gm of body weight and the duration after the administration were 30 minutes, and one, 3, 5 and 7 days. Histologically, coagulation necrosis of the proximal tubules was found at 1 day and the injury was most striking at 3 days. Regeneration was almost complete at 7 days. Among the enzymes studied, e.g., alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, 5'-nucleotidase, adenosine triphosphatase and succinic dehydrogenase, and acid phosphatase of the tubular epithelium was the most severely impaired.