Differential aluminium lactate toxicity in rabbits using either aqueous solutions or liposomal suspensions.

The present paper deals with the toxic effects of aluminum lactate (Al(lact)3) in rabbits. Experimental animals were injected with 6.2 mg of Al(III) as Al(lact)3 aqueous solutions at neutral pH for 21 days. Histological examination showed different pathological lesions to the myocardial tissue, spleen, kidney and liver, with no relevant effects to lungs and CNS. On the contrary, rabbits injected with 60 micrograms of Al(III) as Al(lact)3 in a liposome suspension for 42 days showed a large infarctual zone in the spinal cord with the metal accumulation in the necrobiotic neurons. Pharmacological implications of these findings are also discussed.