Zinc deficiency and zinc repletion: effect on the response of rats to infection with Trichinella spiralis.
The expulsion of a primary infection of Trichinella spiralis was studied in rats fed diets containing (per kg diet) either 3 mg Zn [zinc deficient (Zn-)] or 40 mg Zn [zinc adequate (Zn+)]. A dose of 2000 muscle larvae (ML) impaired weight gain (mg/g body wt) in all groups compared with uninfected controls [eg, 0-7 d postinfection (dpi): infected Zn-, -105 +/- 10 (means +/- SEM); uninfected Zn-, 54 +/- 19 (p less than 0.001)]. In a study with 20.5 ML/g body wt, some Zn- rats were transferred at the time of infection to the zinc-adequate diet. [This was the zinc-repleted group (ZnR).] Both groups retained a group of pair-fed controls (Zn-PF and ZnRPF). The percentage dose established at 7 dpi was similar in all groups (32.5-39.3%) but at 13 dpi recoveries were 19.4 +/- 2.2% for Zn-, 0.1 +/- 0.1% for Zn-PF, 1.6 +/- 0.9% for ZnR, 0.6 +/- 0.2% for ZnRPF, and 4.1 +/- 2.2% for Zn+ (p less than 0.001). Up to 13 dpi, all groups except ZnR lost weight. These results show that zinc deficiency impairs the expulsion of T spiralis in rats.
Fenwick
P K
PK
Department of Child Health, University of Aberdeen, UK.
Aggett
P J
PJ
Macdonald
D
D
Huber
C
C
Wakelin
D
D
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014234:Trichinella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014235:Trichinellosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D015032:Zinc