Autoradiography of Manganese: Accumulation and Retention in the Pancreas

Abstract

By means of whole-body autoradiography, the general distribution of 54MnCl2 was studied in mice and Marmoset monkey. High accumulation and retention were observed in the pancreas in both species. Gamma counting experients in mice after a single i.v. injection of 54MnCl2 showed that the level in the pancreas exceeded that of the liver at all survival times (20 min-30 days). Also in the monkey, the concentration in the pancreas exceeded that of the liver, and the pancreas had the highest tissue/liver ratio of the organs measured at 24 h after injection. The high uptake and long retention in the pancreas suggest that Mn is of importance for the pancreatic function but also that the pancreas may be a target organ for Mn toxicity. Positron tomography, using 11C-labeled amino acids, has been found to be a promising diagnostic technique for the study of pancreatic disease. Positron emitting Mg isotopes may be worth further studies as possible agents for pancreatic imaging.