Aluminum (²⁶Al) Metabolism in Rats

Because of the lack of a suitable Isotope and a sensitive technique of analysis, aluminum has been studied Indirectly using analogs such as ⁶⁷Ga (t_1/2 = 78 hr). Recently, with the development of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), it has become possible to use the artificially produced radionuclide of aluminum, aluminum 26 (²⁶Al), (t_1/2 = 7.16 × 10⁵ years). AMS is used for measuring long-lived and stable isotopes with the sensitivity of an attomole (10^-17 mol). To study aluminum metabolism, ²⁶AlCl₃ was administered to rats Intraperitoneally (ip) by Injection and orally by gavage (n = 3/group). Blood was collected periodically. On Day 8 following perfusion, blood, liver, kidney, femur, brain, and spleen were collected and analyzed for ²⁶Al. Of all the tissues studied, ²⁶Al accumulation was greatest in the bone. ²⁶Al accumulated in tissues as: bone > spleen > kidney ≃ liver > brain, but absorption was low (0.97% of dose). AMS offers great potential in Al research as It is the only technique available for tracer aluminum study.