Tissue distribution of gallium following administration of the gallium-maltol complex in the rat: a model for an aluminium-maltol complex of neurotoxicological interest.

The intestinal absorption and subsequent tissue distribution of aluminium-maltol, a potentially neurotoxic complex found in foods, was investigated using gallium as a marker for aluminium. Gallium or gallium-maltol labelled with 67Ga was administered orally to rats. The amount of gallium in 'blood-free' tissues was measured by correcting for gallium in residual blood and an estimate of intestinal absorption was then made by summing the values for all tissues examined. In both the test (gallium-maltol dosed) and control (gallium only dosed) experiments absorption of gallium was significantly increased in the fasted state when compared with that of the fed animals. In fasted but not in fed animals, administration of gallium-maltol doubled the amount of gallium absorbed when compared with administration of gallium alone.