Unraveling the Toxic Effects of Sodium Fluoride on Kidneys of Male Japanese Quails (Coturnix japonica)

Pesticides are commonly used in agriculture soils to distroy various pathogens. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the media in Western Europe and North America extensively covered the issue of birds on agricultural land being poisoned by aldrin, dieldrin, and heptachlor, which were commonly used as seed dressings. To highlight this issue, an experiment was performed to examine the effects of sodium fluoride on Japanes quail growth, biochemical and histology of kidney. In the present work, forty-eight sexually male Japanese quail, weighing 105gm, were used, divided in 4 equal groups as A, B, C & D having 12 quails in every group. Quails were acclimatized for two weeks. After acclimatization experimental treatments were applied to their respective groups. Duration of experiment was 30 days. Sodium fluoride was given to quails orally with the help of gavage on daily basis. Quails in group C handled with 3.75mg/kg dose and group D handled with 5.0mg/kg dose showed significant changes in physical, biochemical and renal parameters as compared to control group. These treatments also cause significant reduction in final weight of birds. Birds in groups B with 2.5 mg/kg dose showed non-significant results. On 3.75mg/kg exposure, the highest accretion of fluoride occurred in the kidney. Sodium fluoride exposure significantly increased the kidney injury and other renal biomarkers. The histopathological variations such as necrosis of parenchymal cells, congestion and hemorrhage varied in dose dependent manner of sodium fluoride.