The influence of manganese on the distribution of essential trace elements. II. The tissue distribution of manganese, magnesium, zinc, iron, and copper in rats after chronic manganese exposure.

Two groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated ip for 30 d with either 3.0 mg Mn/kg or an equal volume of 0.9% NaCl. Liver, kidney, pancreas, duodenum, spleen, testes, lungs, brain, skeletal muscle, bone, and blood were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry for the elements Mn, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Cu. Mn increased in all tissues except liver due to treatment. Bone and pancreas revealed the largest increases. In blood, increased Mn levels were almost totally accounted for by increases in the erythrocyte fraction. Subcellularly, all fractions (crude nuclear, crude mitochondrial, lysosomal, microsomal, and supernatant) revealed elevations in Mn content due to treatment. Mn did not concentrate selectively in any one subcellular fraction. Mn exposure was accompanied by decreased Zn levels in plasma and bone, decreased Mg levels in heart and bone, increased pancreatic Fe concentration, and increased Cu concentrations in plasma and several tissues.