NOVEL PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF MANGANESE AGAINST FERROUS CITRATE-INDUCED LIPID-PEROXIDATION AND NIGROSTRIATAL NEURODEGENERATION IN-VIVO

Earlier studies intranigrally infusing high doses of manganese (50-250 nmol) revealed a reversible oxidative injury to nigrostriatal dopamin ergic neurons. In fact, intranigral infusion of lower dose manganese ( 4.2 nmol) in the present study did not significantly alter dopamine le vels in rat striatum. Moreover, manganese completely suppressed both a cute lipid peroxidation in substantia nigra and chronic degeneration o f the nigrostriatal neurons induced by intranigral infusion of ferrous citrate (4.2 nmol). These in vivo data indicate that low dose mangane se is a potent antioxidant which may activate antioxidative defense me chanisms to protect brain neurons against oxidative stress induced by iron complexes.