新生、成年和老年小鼠尾壳核、皮层运动区与脊髓中某些递质氨基酸含量的研究

用本实验室改进的超微量 DANS 反应-聚酰胺薄膜层析-荧光方法测定了新生、成年和老年小鼠尾壳核、皮层运动区和脊髓的递质氨基酸:GABA、牛磺酸、甘氨酸、谷氨酸、天冬氨酸和丙氨酸。实验结果表明,不同年龄小鼠中枢神经系统不同部位的“抑制性”和“兴奋性”递质氨基酸的含量不同:(1)尾壳核的“抑制性”递质 GABA 含量随年龄的增长而增加。在发育过程中“兴奋性”递质天冬氨酸、谷氨酸也显著升高,而“抑制性”递质牛磺酸含量却显著降低。老化时除 GABA 继续升高外,所测定的其他递质氨基酸皆无显著变化。(2)皮层运动区的“抑制性”递质牛磺酸和甘氨酸含量在发育过程中是降低的,而“兴奋性”递质谷氨酸显著升高。在老化时只有“抑制性”递质 GABA 继续升高。(3)脊髓的“抑制性”递质 GABA 和牛磺酸含量在发育过程中显著降低,而“兴奋性”递质天冬氨酸含量却显著升高。(4)由新生到成年,尾壳核、皮层运动区和脊髓的“抑制性”与“兴奋性”递质氨基酸总量的比值是降低的。成年小鼠的此比值近似于1,新生小鼠此比值(?)1。而老年小鼠的脊髓此比值<1。新生小鼠尾壳核的高比值可能在生物化学上反映了其在发育期的功能特点。     

不同区域针叶年龄对红松叶性状及相关关系的影响

叶龄是植株个体发育过程中性状变异的重要影响因素, 不同叶龄下的性状变异可以体现植物针对环境变化做出的响应。该研究以东北地区4个不同区域阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林中的成年红松为研究对象, 测定了4个区域红松的叶寿命和不同针叶年龄叶片的比叶面积(SLA)、叶片干物质含量(LDMC)、针叶密度(ND)以及针叶体积(NV), 探讨了红松叶形态性状间的相关性, 并检验了纬度和针叶年龄对这些相关关系的影响。结果显示: (1)不同纬度下红松叶寿命存在显著差异, 随纬度增加呈单峰模式。(2)针叶年龄在性状变异解释中占比最大(34.2%-80.1%), 对4个叶形态性状均存在显著影响。SLA、LDMC和ND在当年生叶片中均表现了比所有龄级下更大的可塑性, 仅NV在所有龄级下的可塑性大于当年生叶片。(3) 4个性状间的二元相关性显著, 且在不同纬度下多有体现, 但性状间的回归斜率随纬度变化趋势存在差异。(4)不同针叶年龄性状间的相关关系依然显著但变异规律不同, 如SLA与ND的回归斜率随针叶年龄增加而减小, ND与NV则相反。研究结果表明红松叶形态性状的变异和性状间的相关关系受纬度和针叶年龄的显著影响, 性状协同应对不同纬度梯度导致的环境变化以及不同针叶年龄下叶片的资源利用策略存在差异。     

麦洼牦牛肉品质相关特性研究

本研究针对麦洼牦牛各年龄(0.5岁、1.5岁、2.5岁)、各部位(背最长肌、辣椒条、小黄瓜条)中品质相关特性(风味物质与活性物质含量)做了比较分析。结果表明:随年龄增长,肌苷、肌苷酸、牛磺酸以及谷胱甘肽在不同部位中有增加趋势;肝素钠在背最长肌中随年龄增长有增加趋势,硫胺素在辣椒条中有随年龄增长而下降趋势;谷氨酸钠与L-肉碱的含量随年龄增长无显著改变(P>0.05)。不同部位之间比较,背最长肌与小黄瓜条的风味物质含量高于辣椒条。背最长肌由于肝素钠含量较高,对老年人健康有更高的营养价值,而其他部位含有较丰富的牛磺酸、L-肉碱和谷胱甘肽,对青少年健康更有益处。     

古田山常绿阔叶林不同演替群落的萌生特征

萌生是植物营养繁殖的重要方式之一, 树木的萌生更新对群落结构的维持、植被的动态和演替具有重要意义。本研究基于古田山常绿阔叶林内处于不同演替阶段的25个30 m × 30 m样方中胸径 ≥ 5 cm的木本植物萌生茎发生情况的调查数据, 应用线性回归模型分析了不同演替群落的萌生特征及其地形解释。结果发现: (1)样地内共有56种木本植物存在萌生现象, 占总物种数的53.8%。(2)群落(样方)水平的萌生能力与海拔显著负相关, 与坡度和坡向的相关性较弱。(3)群落水平的萌生能力与林分年龄显著负相关; 在控制地形因子的影响下, 林分年龄对萌生指标解释量仍然达到20%-30%。萌生个体数和萌生物种丰富度所占比例随林分年龄显著下降, 萌生物种主茎的平均胸径随林分年龄显著增加。研究表明, 古田山常绿阔叶林萌生能力随林分年龄的增大而下降, 可能由演替序列上物种组成的变化(即萌生能力较强物种的多度下降)和群落结构的变化(即大径级个体增多)导致。另外, 萌生能力受到海拔、坡向等地形因素的影响。     

钠钾氯共转运体在γ-氨基丁酸引起的肠神经元兴奋中的作用（英文）

γ-氨基丁酸(γ-aminobutyric acid, GABA)是成年个体中枢神经系统(central nervous system, CNS)的一种抑制性神经递质,但对未成熟CNS神经元有兴奋作用。出生后GABA对CNS神经元的作用由去极化逐渐转为超极化,这种转变主要是由于大脑Na~+-K~+-2Cl~-共运体1 (Na~+-K~+-2Cl~-symporter 1, NKCC1)表达逐渐减少和K~+-Cl~-共运体2 (K~+-Cl~-cotransporter 2, KCC2)表达增加。与CNS神经元不同,肠神经系统(enteric nervous system, ENS)中未成熟和成体神经元都可被GABA去极化。GABA激发ENS神经元兴奋的分子机制尚不清楚,但与ENS神经元内的高Cl-浓度有关。本研究目的是检验一个假设,即ENS神经元的细胞内高Cl-浓度是由NKCCs活动维持的。结果显示,NKCC2免疫反应性(immunoreactivity, IR)在出生后第1天(P1)大鼠结肠ENS中出现,随后持续升高,在P14达到稳定的高水平,并在成年后保持在这一水平。NKCC1的IR出现在P14大鼠的ENS中,并维持到成年。在任何发育阶段的大鼠ENS中都检测不到KCC2的IR。在ENS神经元中,NKCC1和NKCC2均与GABAA受体共同表达。外源性GABA (1 mmol/L)可引起ENS神经元膜去极化。GABA诱导的去极化逆转电位约为-16 m V。NKCC抑制剂布美他尼(50μmol/L)或速尿(300μmol/L)可显著抑制GABA诱导的去极化。布美他尼(50μmol/L)使GABA诱导的去极化逆转电位向超极化方向移动。无论是KCC抑制剂DIOA (20μmol/L)还是Cl~-/HCO_3~-交换抑制剂DIDS (200μmol/L)对GABA诱发的去极化都没有明显影响。以上结果提示,ENS表达NKCC1和NKCC2,但是不表达KCC2。NKCC1和NKCC2在GABA引起的肠神经元兴奋中起重要作用。     

新生、成年和老年小鼠大脑皮层突触小体神经递质氨基酸含量的比较研究

用DANS反应-薄膜层析-萤光方法测定了蔗糖密度梯度超离心制备的不同年龄小鼠大脑皮层突触小体中递质氨基酸的含量。实验结果表明:(1)不同年龄小鼠每克皮层组织中突触小体蛋白质含量不同。新生——5.68、成年——21.37、老年——19.14毫克/克脑组织湿重。(2)递质氨基酸含量以毫微克分子/克脑组织湿重表示时,GABA 含量在发育期升高,到老年期又降低;牛磺酸含量由新生到老年期持续下降;谷氨酸、天冬氨酸含量在发育期升高,到老年期无明显变化。(3)突触小体中“抑制性”递质氨基酸总量与“兴奋性”递质氨基酸总量的比值(GABA Tau Gly/Glu Asp)随年龄增长而明显降低,成年的比值趋近于1。新生——3.39、成年——1.06、老年——0.79。(4)老年小鼠皮层突触小体的蔗糖梯度区带明显分成两层。即除P_2B 层外,出现明显的P_2B' 层,其GABA、谷氨酸、天冬氨酸含量与P_B 层相比,分别降低24.2%(P<0.05)、50.4%(P<0.001)和44%(P<0.001)。     

新生、成年和老年小鼠大脑皮层突触小体神经递质氨基酸含量的比较研究

用DANS反应-薄膜层析-萤光方法测定了蔗糖密度梯度超离心制备的不同年龄小鼠大脑皮层突触小体中递质氨基酸的含量。实验结果表明:(1)不同年龄小鼠每克皮层组织中突触小体蛋白质含量不同。新生——5.68、成年——21.37、老年——19.14毫克/克脑组织湿重。(2)递质氨基酸含量以毫微克分子/克脑组织湿重表示时,GABA含量在发育期升高,到老年期又降低;牛磺酸含量由新生到老年期持续下降;谷氨酸、天冬氨酸含量在发育期升高,到老年期无明显变化。(3)突触小体中“抑制性”递质氨基酸总量与“兴奋性”递质氨基酸总量的比值(GABA Tau Gly/Glu Asp)随年龄增长而明显降低,成年的比值趋近于1。新——3.39、成年——1.06、老年——0.79。(4)老年小鼠皮层突触小体的蔗糖梯度区带明显分成两层。即除P_2B层外,出现明显的P_2B′层,其GABA、谷氨酸、天冬氨酸含量与P_2B层相比,分别降低24.2%(P<0.05)、50.4%(P<0.001)和44%(P<0.001)。     

外源Glu和GABA对梭梭种子萌发及呼吸速率的影响

通过不同浓度外源谷氨酸(Glu)和γ-氨基丁酸(GABA)以及不同比例Glu/GABA处理梭梭种子,研究它们对梭梭种子萌发率、胚根长度和呼吸速率的影响.结果显示:(1)不同浓度的外源Glu均能显著提高梭梭种子的萌发率,促进胚根的伸长并增强其呼吸速率;(2)外源GABA在低浓度(0.1~5mmol·L-1)时能降低种子萌发率,促进胚根伸长,而高浓度(10mmol·L-1)的效应则相反;不同浓度GABA均抑制种子呼吸速率,且低浓度时抑制效果更明显;(3)不同比例Glu/GABA均能降低种子萌发率,抑制胚根伸长,增强呼吸速率.研究发现,梭梭种子的萌发和呼吸受到外源谷氨酸的促进,却受到外源γ-氨基丁酸的抑制.     

不同年龄健康被试者心率变异性的谱分析研究

对不同年龄健康男性被试者卧、立位条件下,心率变异性（ｈｅａｒｔ ｒａｔｅ ｖａｒｉａｂｉｌｉｔｙ,ＨＲＶ）谱高、低频成分随年龄变化的规律进行研究。结果表明：虽然各年龄组间卧、立位时的静息平均心率并无显著差别,但ＨＲＶ却随年龄的增长而明显降低,青年组ＨＲＶ谱高、低频谱峰功率的显著高于中年组、中老年组及老年组（Ｐ〈０．０５或Ｐ〈０．０１）;ＨＲＶ谱低频谱功率、高频谱功率及总功率均随年龄增长呈指数衰减规     

N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸和γ-氨基丁酸对蝙蝠下丘薄片诱发电活动的影响

在47只不同年龄的蝙蝠的86张中脑下丘的冠状薄片上 ,电刺激外侧丘系 ,记录到149例下丘中央核的诱发场电位。分别观察了微电泳N -甲基 -D -天冬氨酸 (NMDA)、2 -氨基 -5 -磷酸戊酸 (2 -APV)、γ -氨基丁酸 (GABA)、荷包牡丹碱 (bicuculline)等对下丘中央核诱发场电位幅度的影响。实验结果表明 ,外侧丘系对蝙蝠中脑下丘中央核的传入影响可能主要由GABA、Glu以及GABAA 、NMDA受体所介导 ;在不同的年龄组 ,对NMDA及GABA等反应的诱发单位比例基本一致、反应幅度无显著差异。鉴于蝙蝠整体实验的结果表明 ,中脑下丘中央核听反应神经元的GA BA能输入在出生后早期存在显著的发育过程。根据对诱发电位幅度的分析结果 ,推测这种GABA能输入在出生后早期的增长可能源于高位中枢的下行投射。     

POSTNATAL CHANGES IN THE LEVELS OF GLYCINE AND THE ACTIVITIES OF SERINE HYDROXYMETHYLTRANSFERASE AND GLYCINE: 2-OXOGLUTARATE AMINOTRANSFERASE IN THE RAT CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Abstract— Of the amino acids found in the CNS of 10-day-old rats the concentration of glycine alone was significantly higher in the spinal cord than in all other regions. Spinal levels of glycine, cystathionine, isoleucine and lysine from 1- and 10-day-old rats did not differ significantly from adult values, whereas the levels of most other amino acids, including GABA, glutamate, glutamine and taurine, were higher in the young animals than in the adults. Aspartate was the only amino acid found in lower concentration in the spinal cord of young animals than in adult animals. These and other observations support the conclusion that glycine is used as an inhibitory transmitter in rat spinal cord early in postnatal life. There was a general decrease in the activity of serine hydroxymethyltransferase and a slight increase in the activity of glycine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase in the CNS during development. The activity of neither enzyme correlated on a regional basis with the glycine content. The high level of hydroxymethyltransferase activity in the cerebellum of 10-day-old rats suggests that the activity of this enzyme reflects cell growth rate.     

CHANGES OCCURRING IN THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DURING FOETAL AND POST-NATAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHEEP

(1) The chemical composition of the CNS (separated into cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord) was determined in sheep during foetal and post-natal development and in adults. (2) The spinal cord differed from the remainder of the CNS in growing more after the period studied (50-day-old foetuses to 5-week-old lambs) than before it. This was largely attributable to lipid accumulation. (3) Chemical growth (accumulation of DNA, protein and lipid) proceeded linearly in spinal cord, logarithmically in cerebrum and cerebellum while in brain stem growth was described by a sigmoid function. (4) Fat-free dry matter, protein, total lipid, cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations increased progressively in all parts of the CNS but DNA concentrations changed little. In the cerebrum alone there was an increase in DNA concentration during maturation suggesting an increased cell population. Cholesterol was present predominantly in the free form but esters were detected in foetal tissues from 70 up to 120 days gestation. (5) Cerebroside, the characteristic lipid of myelin, increased in concentration soon after 85 days of gestation, up to which point very low values were recorded, the rate varying according to the region of the CNS examined. Rates of increase in total regional cerebroside content were used to identify periods of myelination and the results suggest that there are two periods of peak activity, one about 20 days before birth and the other at 10-20 days after birth. (6) The composition of lipids added during the two phases of myelination and during maturation were characteristically different. In the spinal cord, lipid analyses best reflect changes in myelin composition.     

HSP70 constitutive expression in rat central nervous system from postnatal development to maturity.

We studied the level of the basal (constitutive) HSP70 expression (inducible and constitutive forms) in the central nervous system (CNS) of male and female rats from the postnatal period to maturity. HSP70 levels were analyzed by immunoblotting in five different areas (cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, and spinal cord). The highest levels of HSP70 were found in juvenile rats and decreased progressively until reaching baseline levels between 2 and 4 months. A slight and nonsignificant increase in aged (2-year-old) rats compared with adult subjects was observed in some cerebral areas (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum). In the first weeks of postnatal development, HSP70 immunoreactivity was distributed throughout CNS sections and no specific immunopositive cells could be clearly determined. In adult animals, strong immunostaining was observed in some large neurons (Purkinje neurons and mesencephalic and spinal cord motor neurons), some perivascular and subpial astrocytes, and ependymocytes. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that HSP70 in these cells is located in the perinuclear area and in mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and microtubules. In neurons, strong immunolabeling was also observed in synaptic membranes. The postnatal time course of HSP70 levels and the location and size of HSP70-immunopositive cells suggest that HSP70 constitutively expressed in the rat CNS may be mainly determined by the degree of development and metabolic activity of the neural cells.     

Stereotaxic Injection of Tetanus Toxin in Rat Central Nervous System Causes Alteration in Normal Levels of Monoamines

A single intraventricular injection of tetanus toxin produced a time-dependent elevation of serotonin levels in brain and spinal cord of adult rats. This tetanus toxin-induced increase was produced in areas of high density of serotonergic innervation, such as the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and spinal cord. Little or no effect was found in the thalamus, cerebellum, and frontal cortex, areas that are poorly innervated by serotonergic terminals. The responses of catecholamines (no change in dopamine level and generalized decrease in norepinephrine) pointed to a specific action of tetanus toxin on the serotonergic system. Stereotaxic injections of tetanus toxin in dorsal or magnus raphe nuclei did not have an evident effect on biogenic amine levels in the brain and spinal cord, respectively. Because direct stereotaxic injections of the toxin in the hypothalamus or hippocampus produced significant serotonin increases in both areas, it is proposed that tetanus toxin interacts with presynaptic targets to produce serotonin accumulation; this is probably due in part to an activation of tryptophan 5-hydroxylase.     

Amino acid changes in regions of the CNS in relation to function in experimental portal-systemic encephalopathy

Sustained hyperammonemia resulting from portocaval anastomosis (PCA) in the rat, is accompanied by neurological symptoms and reversible morphological changes in brain, the nature and distribution of which suggest selective vulnerability of certain brain structures. the present study was initiated to investigate the effects of increasing CNS ammonia on the distribution of amino acids in regions of the rat brain in relation to the degree of neurological impairment in PCA rats. Four weeks following PCA, rats were administered ammonium acetate (5.2 mmol/kg, i.p.) to precipitate neurological symptoms of encephalopathy which included diminished locomotor activity, loss of hindlimb extension and righting reflexes and ultimately coma. At various stages during the development of encephalopathy, rats were sacrificed and the amino acids glutamine, glutamate and aspartate measured simultaneously, using a sensitive double-isotope dansyl microassay. Homogenates of the following regions of the CNS were assayed: cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum, midbrain, hypothalamus, cerebellum, medulla-pons, spinal cord (gray matter) and spinal cord (white matter). Sustained hyperammonemia associated with PCA alone resulted in a non-uniform 2–4 fold increase of glutamine in all regions of the CNS. Glutamate, on the other hand, was selectively increased in striatum and cerebellum, two regions of brain shown to exhibit early morphologically-characterised astrocytic abnormalities in rats with PCA. Onset of severe neurological dysfunction was accompanied by significantly decreased glutamine and glutamate in striatum and cerebellum. Thus, sustained hyperammonemia in association with portocaval shunting results in region-selective effects with respect to glutamine-glutamate metabolism in the CNS.     

LIPID DEFICIENCY IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF LANDRACE PIGLETS AFFECTED WITH CONGENITAL TREMOR AIII, A FORM OF CEREBROSPINAL HYPOMYELINOGENESIS

—Congenital tremor, type AIII, is characterized by partial agenesis of the white matter of the CNS affecting mainly the spinal cord. The percentage water content of the fresh cord is consistently higher than normal and other parts of the CNS are sporadically affected. The total lipid content (mg/g fresh tissue) is markedly decreased in the cord but brain stem and cerebellum are less severely deficient; the cerebrum is barely deficient. Total amounts of cholesterol, cerebroside and phospholipid (mmol/part) are significantly reduced predominantly in cerebellum, brain stem and cord. Total DNA and protein contents are decreased to a significant extent only in spinal cord. Broadly similar lipid changes are found in fixed tissues. The data are consistent with sub-normal myelination, associated with a deficiency of oligodendrocytes.     

EFFECT OF ZUCLOMIPHENE ON CHOLESTEROL FORMATION IN THE DEVELOPING CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF THE RAT

Abstract— The effect of zuclomiphene, a hypocholesterolemic agent, on developing rat CNS cholesterol biosynthesis was examined. Sterol content and composition was studied in relation to age in four regions of the CNS, cerebrum, brain stem, spinal cord and cerebellum. Sterol content of all four regions was slightly lower in drug-treated animals than in controls. Brain stem and spinal cord were more susceptible to the effects of zuclomiphene than were cerebrum and cerebellum. Drug treatment resulted in the accumulation of desmosterol and zymosterol (5 x -cholesta-8,24-dien-3β-ol) in all CNS regions. After 15 days of drug treatment, desmosterol constituted more than 50% of the total sterol in the four examined regions. Six to 9% of the total sterol was zymosterol.
Examination by electron microscopy indicated only minimal morphological changes. Occasionally, neuronal membranous cytoplasmic inclusion bodies were evident.     

THE DISTRIBUTION OF GLYCINE, GABA, GLUTAMATE AND ASPARTATE IN RABBIT SPINAL CORD, CEREBELLUM AND HIPPOCAMPUS

The distribution of glycine, GABA, glutamate and aspartate was measured among about 60 subdivisions of rabbit spinal cord, and among the discrete layers of cerebellum, hippocampus and area dentata. A more detailed mapping for GABA was made within the tip of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Spinal ventral horn and dorsal root ganglion cell bodies were analyzed for the amino acids and for total lipid. The distribution of lipid and lipid-free dry weight per unit volume was also determined in spinal cord. Calculated on the basis of tissue water, glycine in the cord is highest in lateral and ventral white matter immediately adjacent to the ventral grey. The distribution of GABA is almost the inverse of that of glycine with highest level in the tip of dorsal horn. It is most highly concentrated in the central 75% of Rexed layers III and IV. Aspartate in the tip of ventral horn is 4-fold higher than in the tip of the dorsal horn and 3 times the average concentration in brain. Glutamate was much more evenly distributed and is relatively low in concentration with slightly higher levels in dorsal than in ventral grey matter. Large cell bodies in both ventral horn and dorsal root ganglion contained high levels of glycine. As reported by others, GABA was found to be high in cerebellar grey layers, area dentata, and regio inferior of hippocampus. Glycine was moderately high in cerebellar layers but moderate to low in hippocampus and area dentata.     

癫痫对大鼠学习记忆的影响及与生长抑素的相关性研究

对听源性癫痫大鼠进行迷宫训练,观察癫痫发作对大鼠光分辨学习作业的成绩以及用放射免疫分析法测定的大鼠部分脑区中生长抑素含量的影响。结果表明：（１）癫痫发作对大鼠记忆阶段有明显的抑制作用（Ｐ＜０．０１）;（２）癫痫发作后,在大鼠信息提取明显障碍的同时,其颞叶皮层、下丘脑、垂体及海马中生长抑素的含量明显增加（Ｐ＜０．０５－０．０１）。结果提示：癫痫发作影响大鼠学习记忆过程,在该过程中生长抑素含量发生改变。     

Effects of acute manganese chloride exposure on lipid peroxidation and alteration of trace metals in rat brain

Although manganese (Mn) is an essential element, exposure to excessive levels of Mn and its accumulation in the brain can cause neurotoxicity and extrapyramidal syndrome. We have investigated the differences in the accumulated levels of Mn, the degree of lipid peroxidation, and its effects on the levels of trace elements (Fe, Cu, and Zn) in various regions in the brain of rats having undergone acute Mn exposure. The rats in the dose—effect group were injected intraperitoneally (ip) with MnCl₂ (25, 50, or 100 mg MnCl₂/kg) once a day for 24 h. The Mn significantly accumulated (p<0.05) in the frontal cortex, corpus callosum, hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus medulla, cerebellum, and spinal cord in each case. The rats in the timecourse group were ip injected with MnCl₂ (50 mg MnCl₂/kg) and then monitored 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after exposure. The Mn accumulated in the frontal cortex, corpus callosum, hippocampus, striatum hypothalamus, medulla, cerebellum, and spinal cord after these periods of time, In both the dose—effect and time-course studies, we observed that the concentration of malondialdehyde, an end product of lipid peroxidation, increased significantly in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus, medulla, and cerebellum. However, no relationship between the concentrations of Mn in the brain and the extent of lipid peroxidation was observed. In addition, we found that there was a significant increase (p<0.05) in the level of Fe in the hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus, medulla, and cerebellum, but the Cu and Zn levels had not changed significantly. These findings indicated that Mn induces an increase in the iron level, which provides direct evidence for Fe-mediated lipid peroxidation in the rats' brains; these phenomena might play important roles in the mechanisms of Mn-induced neurotoxicology.