title: Structural changes in rabbit oral epithelium caused by zinc deficiency.
abstract: We report the successful establishment of zinc deficiency in rabbits by dietary means. The soybean protein of a standard rabbit diet was replaced by egg albumin. Weanling, New Zealand white rabbits, were fed a low zinc diet containing 1.5 microgram Zn/g of diet. Zinc-deficient rabbits showed stunted growth, weight loss, altered posture, partial alopecia and crusting of skin. Structural alterations in oral epithelium of the zinc-deficient rabbits included in the tongue flattened filiform papillae showing parakeratosis, in the cheek parakeratosis of the normally nonkeratinized epithelium and hyperplasia of the lip epidermis.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002610:Cheek / Q000473:pathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000378:metabolism; D008046:Lip / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D010241:Parakeratosis / Q000378:metabolism; D010519:Periodontium / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits / Q000378:metabolism*; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc