Alveolar wound healing alteration under uranyl nitrate intoxication.

The deposit of uranium compounds in calcifying zones has been demonstrated in bone. Nevertheless, no studies on the effect of uranium on osteogenesis have been performed. A histologic and histometric study of the effect of a single intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/kg of body weight of uranyl nitrate on bone formation is presented. It was performed on rats' healing sockets, 14 days after tooth extraction. The alveolar bone volume (15 X 10(5) micron vs. 34 X 10(5) micron2), total bone formation areas (4.85% vs. 19.55%), and volume density of bone in the alveolar apical third (0.26 vs. 0.40) were significantly lower in intoxicated animals than in the controls. These results indicate the inhibitory effect of uranyl nitrate on bone formation.