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Ethanol-Provoked Disturbances in the Binding of Zinc to Rat Jejunal Mucosal Proteins^1,2,

Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, N. Y. 10021

The present investigation was undertaken to determine whether administration of ethanol by intragastric intubation to rats modifies the binding of radioactive zinc to its binding proteins in the jejunal mucosa. These studies were prompted by the frequent observation of abnormalities in serum and urine zinc concentrations in alcoholic patients and the necessity to determine whether alcohol diminishes intestinal protein binding of zinc, the first step in zinc absorption. Adult female rats received intragastric ethanol by intubation, either daily for 10 days, or only 1 hour prior to death. After death by decapitation, the small intestine was removed, and mucosal cell extracts prepared by homogenization and centrifugation. These extracts were incubated with ⁶⁵ZnCl₂, and gel filtration chromatography was performed with Sephadex G-100. A major difference in the chromatographic profiles between control and alcohol-treated animals was observed: binding of zinc to high molecular weight proteins was reduced and that to low molecular weight proteins was increased. These differences occurred both 10 days and 1 hour after ethanol. The finding of diminished binding of zinc to high molecular weight jejunal proteins may represent the first step leading to diminished intestinal absorption of zinc in alcoholism.

KEY WORDS: • ethanol • zinc • jejunum • absorption

¹ Supported by research grants 5 POI CA-29502, AM-15265 and CA-12126 from the National Institutes of Health, and by grants from the United States Brewers Association, National Dairy Council, National Live Stock and Mest Board, the Stells and Charles Guttman Foundation, the Fairchild Foundation, the William H. Donner Foundation, the Sperry Corporation, and the Richard Molin Memorial Foundation.

² This work was performed in the Sperry Corporation Nutrition Research Laboratory.

³ Recipient of the Medical Student Research in Clinical Nutrition Award and Student Research Fellowship, American Society for Clinical Nutrition. Present address: Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612.

⁴ Reprint requests should be addressed to: Richard S. Rivlin, M. D. Chief, Nutrition Service, and Professor of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, Box 140, New York, New York 10021.

Manuscript received 26 October 1981.