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Journal of Nutrition Vol. 108 No. 2 February 1978, pp. 307-312
Copyright © 1978 by American Society for Nutrition
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Interrelationship Between Nickel and Zinc in the Rat

Jerry W. Spears, E. E. Hatfield and Richard M. Forbes

Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801

Two experiments were conducted to study interrelationships between nickel and zinc in rats. In experiment 1 diets severely deficient (0 added zinc), marginally deficient (8 ppm) or adequate (16 ppm) in zinc, with or without added nickel (50 ppm), were fed to weanling rats for 28 days. In a second experiment rats were fed diets containing 4, 8, or 24 ppm of zinc with or without supplemental nickel (30 ppm) for 42 days. Gains were significantly improved in both experiments by the addition of zinc to the low zinc diets. Nickel did not significantly affect gain in either experiment. In experiment 1, when expressed as mg N/g N intake, urinary nitrogen was significantly greater in the rats receiving the low zinc diets with or without supplemental nickel. Rats marginally deficient in zinc (8 ppm) receiving no supplemental nickel had a greater urinary nitrogen excretion when measured over a 5-day period than rats receiving 8 ppm of zinc plus 50 ppm of nickel. Rats fed the low zinc diets had decreased total leukocyte numbers in both experiments. Nickel, when supplemented to the low zinc diets, was effective in increasing leukocyte counts. In experiment 2 rats fed 4 or 8 ppm of zinc had elevated hematocrits, erythrocyte counts and hemoglobin concentrations. Nickel tended to be partially effective in preventing the elevation of these blood parameters.

KEY WORDS: • nickel • zinc • leukocyte • urinary nitrogen

Manuscript received 2 February 1977.




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