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Effect of Zinc Deficiency and Wounding on DNA Synthesis in Rat Skin^1,2,

Biochemistry Research Laboratory, Veterans Administration Hospital and The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218

The effect of zinc deficiency on thymidine incorporation into DNA of the skin, liver, spleen, testes, and thymus was studied in the intact and wounded rats. Zinc deficiency significantly reduced the incorporation of thymidine-methyl-³H into skin DNA of both intact and wounded rats. These findings and the reported reduction in thymidine-labeling index in the skin of zinc-deficient rats support the view that zinc directly regulates DNA synthesis. The thymidine-³H incorporation into spleen DNA at 2 and 4 hours, and liver DNA at 4 hours was also significantly less in zinc-deficient rats than in zinc-supplemented rats. A similar but nonsignificant trend was observed for the testes. Conversely, DNA synthesis was enhanced in the thymus gland of zinc-deficient rats.

KEY WORDS: • zinc • skin • DNA • wounding

¹ Portions of these data were presented at the 1972 Meetings of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Federation Proc. 31: 667 (abstr.).

² Requests for reprints should be addressed to Jeng M. Hsu. Ph.D., Chief, Biochemistry Research Laboratory, Veterans Administration Hospital, 3900 Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21218.

³ Present address: Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Manuscript received 28 September 1972.