title: Zinc content in lymphocytes and the activity of zinc ion efflux from lymphocytes in primary arterial hypertension.
abstract: Clinical observations and experimental data show that zinc (Zn) plays a role in regulating arterial blood pressure and in arterial hypertension etiopathogenesis. To determine the direction of changes in Zn metabolism in primary arterial hypertension, Zn absorption from the alimentary tract, Zn levels in blood serum, its content in lymphocytes, Zn efflux rate constants from lymphocytes, and urinary Zn excretion in patients with hypertension and in healthy subjects were studied. In this article, Zn levels in blood serum, its content in lymphocytes, and Zn efflux rate constants from lymphocytes are presented. In primary arterial hypertension, on the basis of this study, decreasing Zn levels in blood serum and its decreasing content in lymphocytes were found. The Zn efflux rate constants from lymphocytes increased at the initial stage of hypertension (mild arterial hypertension) and decreased in the late stage of the hypertension disease (severe arterial hypertension). Taking into consideration all of the directions of changes and the fact that Zn can be a factor that increases arterial blood pressure, the changes in Zn distribution can be regarded as having, to a certain extent, a protective character leading to weakening of the pressor reaction, assuming a genetic existence of relative or absolute Zn excess in the body. The changes of Zn distribution can lead, after some time, to Zn deficiency and the resulting metabolic changes (e.g., carbohydrate intolerance).
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Institute of Technology, Opole Clinic of Cardiology, Medical Academy, Wroclaw, Poland. slawomir.tuber@hipokrates.org
authors.forename: Slawomir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tubek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D017136:Ion Transport; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc