Copper, manganese and zinc in the developing brain of control and quaking mice.

Copper, manganese and zinc were measured by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry in the developing brain of normal and quaking mice. The latter is a neurological mutant presenting early arrest of myelination. Copper concentration was increased by 200% between 10 and 20 days after birth and then leveled off in adult mice. Manganese concentration increased both in control mice and in quaking mice from 3 to 20 days by 200% and then decreased by 19% in control mice and 24% in quaking mice at adult age. Zinc increased by 93% in control and 173% in quaking mice between 10 and 20 days of age, and then progressively declined until 62 days. The mouse brain accumulates considerably all the 3 metals during early development. During the first 20 days, the augmentation is 6-fold for copper, 5-fold for manganese and 5.5-fold for zinc. In quaking, alterations are not very important.