title: Zinc level in selected tissues of ethanol and morphine intoxicated mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this work we determined zinc level in the brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen and thigh muscle of the ethanol- and morphine-intoxicated mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experiment was conducted on mice, which were divided into four groups of ten mice each. They were given ethanol intragastrically, morphine--intraperitoneally, and a combination of ethanol and morphine. The concentration of zinc was determined spectrophotometrically, using spectrophotometer Pye Unicam SP-192.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The narcotic drugs affected zinc level and zinc distribution in the tested tissues. All the narcotic agents caused an increase in zinc concentration in blood serum and a decrease of this microelement in the brain. Ethanol intoxication caused a decrease of zinc level in all the tissues except the heart. Morphine- as well as morphine-and-ethanol intoxication, however, caused an increase or decrease of this microelement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Chemistry, Medical University, ul. Lubartowska 85, 20-123 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Floriańczyk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009020:Morphine / Q000633:toxicity*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D009020:Morphine; D015032:Zinc