A study of the effect of manganese toxicity on growth and mineral metabolism of young rats

The effects of high levels of manganese on growth, hemoglobin levels, liver constituents, and bone mineralization of young male rats were investigated in this study. Results from this study indicate that high levels of dietary manganese are associated with marked decreases in growth which could be partially alleviated by the addition of 10% of distiller's dried solubles. The data suggest that a high level of protein may accentuate, rather than reduce, the effects of manganese toxicity on growth in rats under certain conditions. Rats fed excessive dietary manganese showed marked decreases in liver deposition of iron. Since results indicate that this effect can be overcome by the addition of iron to the high manganese diet, the supplemental iron could be alleviating the effect of manganese by supplying the animal with an available form to replace that lost by the action of manganese