title: The effects of manganese deficiency during prenatal and postnatal development on mitochondrial structure and function in the rat.
abstract: The influence of manganese deficiency on liver trace element concentration, MnSOD activity, and mitochondrial structure and function during postnatal development was determined in rats. In both normal and manganese-deficient animals, liver manganese concentration increased with time, but in deficient rats liver manganese was lower than in controls at all ages measured. At 9 mo of age, liver manganese concentration in the deficient rats was only 20% that of controls. The developmental pattern observed for MnSOD paralleled that of liver manganese concentration in normal and deficient rats; it was lower than in controls on days 20 and 60. However, at 9 mo of age, MnSOD levels were similar in the two groups. Although there were no differences at 9 mo of age in MnSOD activity between the groups, manganese-deficient rats showed mitochondrial abnormalities in liver. Despite mitochondrial abnormalities, however, oxygen uptake and P/O ratios were normal. We suggest that the mitochondrial damage apparent at 9 mo of age is, at least in part, the result of lower than normal MnSOD activity occurring earlier. The functional significance of the abnormalities remains to be established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of California, 95616, Davis, California.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zidenberg-Cherr
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Keen
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Hurley