EFFECT OF MANGANESE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF GLIAL-CELLS CULTURED FROM PRENATALLY ALCOHOL EXPOSED RATS

Maternal alcohol abuse is known to produce retardation in brain matura tion and brain functions. Using cultured glial cells as a model system to study these effects of alcohol we found an alcohol antagonizing pr operty for manganese (Mn). Mn was added to the alcohol diet (MnCl2 25 mg/l of 20% v/v ethanol) of pregnant rats. Glial cells were cultured d uring 4 weeks from cortical brain cells of pups born to these mothers. Several biochemical parameters were examined: protein levels, enzymat ic markers of glial cell maturation (enolase and glutamine synthetase) , superoxide dismutase a scavenger of free radicals produced during al cohol degradation. The results were compared to appropriate controls. A beneficent effect of Mn was observed for the pups weight which was n o more significantly different from the control values. Protein levels , enolase and glutamine synthetase activities were increased mainly du ring the proliferative period when Mn was added to the alcohol diet co mpared to the only alcohol treated animals. This Mn effect was not fou nd for superoxide dismutase in cultured glial cells but exists in the total brain of the 2 week-old offspring. In the total 2 and 4 week-old brain the alcohol induced decrease of enolase and glutamine synthetas e was also antagonized by the Mn suplementation. Our data suggest that Mn may act as a factor overcoming at least partially some aspects of alcohol induced retardation of nerve cell development.