Effects of calcium-deficient diets on manganese deposition in the central nervous system and bones of rats.

The presence of both aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) in central nervous system tissues (CNS) has been reported in Parkinson's disease and in parkinsonism-dementia (PD) on Guam. Epidemiological surveys on Guam have suggested that low calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and high Al and Mn in river, soil and drinking water may be implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. Experimentally, low Ca-Mg diets with or without added Al have been found to accelerate Al deposition in the CNS of rats and monkeys. Although excessive deposition of Mn produces similar neurotoxic action to Al in CNS tissues, the mechanism of Mn deposition coupled with Al loading in the presence of low Ca-Mg intake is not yet known. In this study, the deposition and mental-metal interaction of both Al and Mn in the CNS, visceral organs and bones of rats fed unbalanced mineral diets were analyzed. Male Wistar rats, weighing 200 g, were maintained for 90 days on the following diets: (A) standard diet, (B) low Ca diet, (C) low Ca-Mg diet, (D) low Ca-Mg diet with high Al. Al and Mn content were determined in the frontal cortex, spinal cord, kidney, muscle, abdominal aorta, femur and lumbar spine using neutron activation analysis (NAA). Our results demonstrate that serum Ca levels were decreased in the following dietary order: C<D<B<A. Serum Mg levels were significantly lower in rats from Groups C and D, compared with those in Groups A and B, reflecting the content of Mg and other interacting minerals in the diet. There was no significant difference in serum Al, zinc and phosphorus levels. Ca and Mg contents in lumbar vertebrae and the femur were significantly lower and Al levels significantly higher in rats maintained on the low Ca-Mg diet with or without added Al. Al content in CNS tissues and visceral organs were highest in rats fed diets deficient in Ca alone or low in Ca-Mg with or without added Al. Bone Mn levels significantly increased in rats fed the low Ca-Mg diet with added Al. Mn content in the frontal cortex significantly increased in rats fed diets low in Ca-Mg with or without added Al. But the Mn content of other tissues including the spinal cord, kidney, muscle and abdominal aorta was unchanged in rats given Ca deficient diets. Intake of low Ca and Mg with added Al in rats led to the high concentrations of Mn and Al in bones and in the frontal cortex. We conclude that unbalanced mineral diets and metal-metal interactions may lead to the unequal distribution of Al and Mn in bones and ultimately in the CNS inducing CNS degeneration.