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Zinc Absorption and Its Relationship to Intestinal Metallothionein¹

Washington University Medical Center, Pulmonary Disease Division, 660 South Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110

This study examined the relationship between zinc absorption and metallothionein. Mice injected intraperitoneally with ZnCl₂ (2 mmoles) were found within 18 hours to have increased levels of intestinal metallothionein but an apparent decrease in ⁶⁵Zn absorption. Induction of metallothionein with lower levels of ZnCl₂ (0.2 or 0.5 µmoles) resulted in an apparent increase in ⁶⁵Zn absorption. Isotope dilution experiments showed that intraperitoneal injections of 2 µmoles of ZnCl₂ had resulted in a 500-fold dilution of the available ⁶⁵Zn pool. Mild stress of the animals was shown to increase both ⁶⁵Zn absorption and intestinal metallothionein. Actinomycin D administered 4 hours prior to ZnCl₂ or stress, prevented the induction of metallothionein and obliterated the increase in ⁶⁵Zn absorption. These results indicate that zinc absorption is directly proportional to intestinal metallothionein levels and imply a significant role for metallothionein in zinc absorption.

KEY WORDS: • zinc • absorption • metallothionein

¹ This research was supported by a grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, #HL1611806.

Manuscript received 19 November 1979.