EFFECT OF MANGANESE ON ESSENTIAL TRACE-ELEMENT METABOLISM - TISSUE CONCENTRATIONS AND EXCRETION OF MANGANESE, IRON, COPPER, COBALT AND ZINC

During a two-month long period white male rats were perorally introduced manganese as a 10,8 per cent water solution of MnCl2.4H2O in a dose of 150 mg of Mn2+/kg every second day 2 hours prior to feeding. On the 30th and 60th day as well as after a 30-day restoration period 15 control and 20 treated animals each were killed by decapitation. Concentrations of manganese, iron, copper, cobalt, and zinc were estimated by atomic spectrophotometer in the blood, brain, liver, urine, and feces. It was established that manganese concentration was on the increase proportionally to experiment duration which was most manifested in the brain where it remained higher than the control one even after the restoration period. Manganese excretion by the urine and particularly by the feces increased, too. In the blood and these organs the concentrations of iron, cobalt and copper decreased when copper was concerned. Zinc level increased most significantly in the liver. Excretion by the feces and urine of iron, copper and cobalt rose, being strongest for iron and weakest for cobalt. Zinc fecal concentration in treated animals was lower than that in the controls. This dysmicroelementosis requires a timely correction with biologically active nutrients.