Analysis of Mass Portions of Biogenic Elements in Dental Tissue

Abstract

Hard dental tissues represent ideal tissues for assessing the long-term effects of exposure to toxic metals. The aim of this paper was to determine the representation and the relation between mass portions of the following elements: carbon, oxygen, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, chlorine, potassium, iodine and lead in certain parts of the teeth (enamel-dentine line, dentine, pulp) with rats with experimentally induced diabetes mellitus (DM) by using SEM/EDS analysis, after 14 and 30 days of exposing animals to lead. Material and methods of work: The study was conducted in rats of Wistar strains divided into two groups. The first experimental group (A1) consisted of 8 rats, taking lead in the course of 14 days at a concentration of 1500 ppm and the second experimental group (A2) consisted of 8 rats taking lead in the course of 30 days at a concentration of 1500 ppm. The rats from group А1 and А2 had induced diabetes mellitus by using the Alloxan which was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 100mg per kilogram of body weight. The teeth samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: No lead was detected in the teeth of rats with experimentally induced diabetes that received lead in drinking water in the course of 14 days, while the average values of mass portions of other examined elements amounted to: carbon -24,25 %, oxygen – 38,17%, sodium -0,9%, magnesium -0,11%, aluminum – 0,07%, chlorine – 0,21% and iodine – 0,32%. The average values of the mass portions of examined elements in the enamel of teeth of rats receiving lead in the course of 30 days amounted to: lead -0,36%, carbon-31,09%, oxygen – 41,13%, sodium – 0,91%, magnesium – 0,21%, chlorine – 0,22%, potassium – 0,03% and iodine – 0,17%. Conclusion: Mass portions of elements found in the teeth enamel of rats receiving lead in the course of 30 days with experimentally induced diabetes were higher but with no statistically significant difference compared to the mass portions of elements in the group of teeth of rats taking lead through drinking water in the course of 14 days with experimentally induced diabetes, too. The lead was detected in the teeth of rats that received lead for 30 days with induced diabetes but only in the enamel.