Determination of trace manganese in the brain of mice subjected to manganese deposition by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry Original Research Article

Trace manganese determination in mouse brain tissues by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy with a deuterium lamp background corrector and Ca(OH)2 as modifier was described. The manganese content was investigated in four brain locations (cortex, hippocampus, substantia nigra, striatum) in mice subjected to single or multiple injections of manganese chloride. Substantia nigra tissues revealed the highest manganese content 24 h following single injection of manganese chloride. Large accumulations of manganese were observed within substantia nigra and striatum of mice subjected to four consecutive injections of manganese chloride. Thus, substantia nigra and striatum appear to be the brain regions most affected by manganese poisoning. The present method provided rapid and sensitive analysis of brain manganese. The detection limit (3σ) was 1.04 pg and the linearity ranged from 4 to 80 pg. With this method, manganese recoveries from mouse brain tissues ranged from 90–110%, and a complete analysis could be performed within 2 min. The preparation of brain homogenization samples is universal, and samples are less susceptible to contamination. Therefore, other neurochemical substances can be analyzed in remaining samples.