title: Effects of mild zinc deficiency, plus or minus an acute-phase response, on galactosamine-induced hepatitis in rats.
abstract: Zn deficiency is hypothesized to produce poor resistance to injury involving oxidative stress. This could occur by impairing Zn antioxidant function(s) or by indirectly limiting adaptive protective mechanisms such as a rise in acute-phase proteins. The present study examined rats fed diets adequate or moderately low in Zn (4 or 25 micrograms/g diet) for 9 d. The lower intake produced a mild Zn deficiency based on body weight, plasma Zn and plasma alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) activity. Galactosamine injection, an oxidative stress, produced much more liver injury in the mildly Zn-deficient rats. However, injury was strongly inhibited in rats from each dietary group by an acute-phase response due to turpentine-induced leg inflammation. Mild Zn deficiency did not prevent a rise in levels of the acute-phase protein caeruloplasmin (EC 1.16.3.1), but did limit the usual inflammation-induced rise in hepatic levels of metallothionein, a Zn protein with possible antioxidant function. In conclusion, high degrees of galactosamine-induced hepatitis were associated with mild Zn deficiency, but the liver injury was blocked by prior stimulation of an acute-phase response, regardless of Zn status.
authors.affiliation: Human Nutrition and Food Management, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: DiSilvestro
mesh_terms: D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D005688:Galactosamine; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D005688:Galactosamine; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D005966:Glucuronidase; D015032:Zinc