Manganese Transfer from Mothers to Fetuses or Sucklings During Pregnancy and Lactation

Pregnant and nursing rats were given water containing 1, 000ppm manganese (MnCl2 was used) ad libitum and the transfer of Mn to fetuses and sucklings was investigated. Administration of Mn during the first half of the gestation period before placentation produced no difference in Mn concentration in embryos, including chorions, from the control group. However, when Mn was administered during the second half of the gestation period, the fetal and placental concentrations of Mn were 2.7 and 1.9 times, respectively, as high as those in the control group, and the dams showed significantly higher Mn concentrations in the liver and kidney than the control group (p