Manganese Metabolism in Animals and Humans Including the Toxicity of Manganese

ACKNOWLEDGMENT 113ABBREVIATIONS 113REFERENCES 114Manganese, the twelfth most abundant element in the biosphere, has been recognized since the Roman Empire; its name is thought to be derived from a Greek word for magic. That manganese in excess can be harmful to humans has been recognized since 1837, when Couper [1] reported that the chronic inhalation of high amounts of manganese oxide could result in neurological damage. That a deficit of this element could result in pathology in mammals was shown in 1931 by Kemmerer and co-workers when they reported that dietary manganese deficiency in the rat resulted in impaired growth [2]. That manganese deficiency could result in biochemical abnormalities in humans was first shown by Doisy in 1972 [3]. In this chapter, we will briefly summarize some of the literature related to manganese nutrition, toxicology, and metabo­ lism in humans and experimental animals. Based on space constraints, review articles rather than original sources will be cited in many cases; the reader is directed to these reviews for the original citations and for an expanded discussion of the topics.