title: Drug delivery of zinc to Barrett's metaplasia by oral administration to Barrett's esophagus patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Delivery of a pharmacologically effective drug dosage to a target tissue is critical. Barrett's epithelia are a unique challenge for drug delivery of orally administered zinc due to rapid transit down the esophageal lumen, incomplete absorptive differentiation of these epithelia, and the use of proton-pump inhibitor drugs abrogating intestinal uptake of supplemental zinc.
  
  
  METHODS
  Barrett's esophagus patients were administered oral zinc gluconate (26 mg zinc twice daily) for 14 days prior to biopsy procurement. Barrett's biopsies were analyzed for total zinc content by atomic absorption spectroscopy and by western immunoblot for cellular proteins known to be regulated by zinc.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cellular levels of both the Znt-1 transport protein and the alpha isoform of PKC were over 50% lower in the zinc treatment group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral zinc administration can result in effective delivery of zinc to Barrett's epithelia with resulting effects on intracellular signal transduction.
authors.affiliation: Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA 19096, USA.
authors.forename: Mary C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Valenzano
authors.forename: Joanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mercado
authors.forename: Xuexuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: E Peter
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Zurbach
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raines
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McDonnell
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rudolph
authors.forename: Austin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: Dinu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cherian
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Raile
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thornton
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zitin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daum
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mercogliano
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mullin
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D015153:Blotting, Western; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004947:Esophagus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005942:Gluconates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D051571:Protein Kinase C-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D005942:Gluconates; C498299:SLC30A1 protein, human; C496628:PRKCA protein, human; D051571:Protein Kinase C-alpha; C030691:gluconic acid