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Effects of Prostaglandin Modifiers and Zinc Deficiency on Possibly Related Functions in Rats¹

Department of Food and Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011

Experiments were conducted to investigate the role of prostaglandins (PG) in zinc absorption and biological functions (food intake and weight gain, alkaline phosphatase activity, T-cell-mediated immune response). PG levels were modified by administering an inhibitor of their synthesis, aspirin or indomethacin in the diet. Zinc level was modified by controlling the dietary concentration. Weanling rats were fed the assigned diets for 1 month after which they were anesthetized with ether. Samples of blood, gut contents and mucosa, liver, lung and tibia were collected for zinc, PG, lymphocyte stimulation with T-cell mitogen, and alkaline phosphatase assays. There was more than 50% inhibition of PG synthesis by indomethacin and aspirin. This inhibition of PG synthesis, however, did not affect the zinc status of the rats as measured by general appearance, food intake, weight gain, organ weight, zinc concentration in different organs, serum alkaline phosphatase activity, and cell-mediated immune response to T-cell mitogens. It is concluded that under physiological conditions inhibitors of PG synthesis do not alter these zinc metabolic functions.

KEY WORDS: • zinc • zinc absorption • prostaglandins

¹ Presented in part at the annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Atlanta, GA, April, 1981. Fed. Proc., 40: 855. Journal paper No. J-10389 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, IA; Project 2438.

² Present address: New England Regional Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School. 1 Pine Hill Dr., Southboro, MA 01772.

³ Present address: U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Center on Aging, Tufts University, 15 Kneeland St., Boston, MA 02111.

Manuscript received 23 April 1982.