Anomalous Development of Ossification in the Inner Ear of Offspring of Manganese-Deficient Rats

Abstract

Ossification of the inner ear was studied in young of manganese-deficient and normal rats in cleared specimens stained with alizarin red S for visualization of the skeleton. The pattern of early ossification of the otic capsule is described. Examination of 39 manganese-deficient newborn offspring revealed that more than half (56%) showed less development of the osseous labyrinth than was seen in any of 22 newborn normal young. Only 15% of the deficient young, as compared with 73% of the manganese-supplemented young, showed development beyond the minimum observed in normal newborns. The results demonstrate an anomalous development of ossification of the otic capsule following maternal manganese deficiency. The implications of this observation of a defect referable to the congenital ataxia of manganese-deficient offspring are discussed.