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 dopaminergic neurons. In fact, intranigral infusion of lower dose manganese (4.2 nmol) in the present study did not significantly alter dopamine levels in rat striatum. Moreover, manganese completely suppressed both acute lipid peroxidation in substantia nigra and chronic degeneration of the nigrostriatal neurons induced by intranigral infusion of ferrous citrate (4.2 nmol). These in vivo data indicate that low dose manganese is a potent antioxidant which may activate antioxidative defense mechanisms to protect brain neurons against oxidative stress induced by iron complexes.