Tissue distribution of subcutaneously administered aluminum chloride in weanling rabbits

The purpose of our investigation was to determine blood and tissue levels of aluminum (Al) in normal young rabbits. Furthermore, we wished to determine tissue distribution and accumulation of Al as related to its blood concentration in Al-dosed rabbits. The levels of Al accumulated were determined in different tissues of growing rabbits after continuous subcutaneous administration of Al chloride (3.78 mg/d) for 28 d. No signs of toxicity were apparent from comparisons of hematocrit or weight gain between control and Al-dosed rabbits. The largest concentration of the Al was observed in bone, which was also found to have the highest levels in the control rabbit tissues. Following bone, the experimental animals showed the greatest increase of Al levels in kidney cortex, kidney medulla, liver, testes, skeletal muscle, heart, brain white matter, and brain hippocampus, in that order. No significant difference was found in brain grey matter between control and experimental animals. As the brain tissue of the Al-treated animals had the lowest Al level of the tissues measured, it appears that there is a partial blood-brain barrier to entry of Al.