Reproductive and developmental toxicities of zinc supplemented rats.
Reproductive and developmental toxicities of zinc supplementation in F(0) rats and F(1) progeny were examined. Rats were treated by gavaging with zinc chloride (ZnCl(2)) at 0.0, 7.5, 15 and 30 mg/kg-d. ZnCl(2) treatment was associated with deficient energy imbalances, reduced number of live pups/litter, decreased live birth index, increased mortality and increased fetal resorption. Changes in serum clinical chemistry and hematologic parameters were sex-related. In F(0) females, ZnCl(2) was associated with increased liver/body weight ratios, reduced creatinine and reduced alkaline phosphatase concentrations. In F(0) males, ZnCl(2) significantly increased relative liver weight and elevated γ-GGT. In addition, at birth, F(1) males exhibited, a significant (p<0.05) increase in anogenital distance, whereas ZnCl(2) hastened the time of eye opening and incisor eruption in males and females. These results indicate that excess ZnCl(2) supplementation before and during pregnancy and during lactation could pose some health risk concerns to pregnant mothers and their offspring.
Johnson
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Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Program, B307 Life Sciences Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Gilbreath
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Ogden
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Graham
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Gorham
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D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002712:Chlorides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000633:toxicity; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000139:chemically induced; D005327:Fetal Resorption / Q000139:chemically induced; D007774:Lactation; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*
D002712:Chlorides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C016837:zinc chloride