Absorption of mono- and polyglutamyl folates in zinc-depleted man.
The effect of experimental zinc depletion on the intestinal absorption of mono- and polyglutamyl folates was assessed in six healthy male subjects by measuring the increase in serum folate after an oral dose of pteroylmonoglutamate and pteroylheptaglutamate before and after initiation of a zinc-deficient diet. At the beginning of the study, no differences were detected in the absorption of pteroylmono- and heptaglutamate. After zinc depletion, the rise in serum folate after an oral dose of pteroylheptaglutamate was reduced by an average of 53% while pteroylmonoglutamate absorption appeared to be unchanged. These data suggest that zinc depletion results in a decreased intestinal hydrolysis of pteroylpolyglutamate and that intestinal conjugase in man is a zinc-dependent enzyme.
D000328:Adult; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008297:Male; D011624:Pteroylpolyglutamic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011623:gamma-Glutamyl Hydrolase / Q000378:metabolism
D011624:Pteroylpolyglutamic Acids; D005492:Folic Acid; D011623:gamma-Glutamyl Hydrolase; D015032:Zinc