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Effect of Dietary Zinc or Copper Deficiency on the Primary Free Radical Defense System in Rats^1,2,

Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1

The effect of dietary Zn or Cu deficiency on the primary free radical defense system was examined in the lungs and livers of 6-wk-old rats. Enzymatic components (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) and nonenzymatic components (-tocopherol, ascorbate, glutathione and metallothionein) of the primary free radical defense system, as well as tissue concentrations of Cu, Zn and Fe, were measured. Liver CuZn-superoxide dismutase and liver catalase activities were significantly lower (P < 0.05), and lung metallothionein and liver ascorbate concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in Cu-deficient rats than in either pair-fed or ad libitum-fed controls. Zn-deficient rats had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) concentration of liver metallothionein than either control group. Other changes in the enzymatic and nonenzymatic components of the primary free radical defense system could be attributed to the reduction in feed intake by Zn- or Cu-deficient rats and not to a direct effect of the Zn or Cu deficiency per se. The primary free radical defense system in lung and liver of severely Zn- or Cudeficient rats was not seriously compromised.

KEY WORDS: • dietary Zn • dietary Cu • superoxide dismutase • catalase • glutathione peroxidase • -tocopherol • ascorbate • glutathione • metallothionein • ceruloplasmin • reactive oxygen species • free radical defense system

¹ This work was supported by National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Grant No. HL33491-01.

² This work was presented in part at the 29th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Federation of Biological Societies, Guelph, Ontario, June 1986 [Taylor, C. G., Bettger, W. J. & Bray, T. M. (1986) The effects of Cu and Zn deficiencies on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and GSH peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in rat lung and liver. CFBS Proc. 29: 162 (abs. PO-117)]. This work was also presented in part at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Federation of Biological Societies, Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 1987 [Taylor, C. G., Bettger, W. J. & Bray, T. M. (1987) Nonenzymatic free radical detoxification systems in the lung of Zn deficient rats. CFBS Proc. 30: 132 (abs. TU-PO-23)].

³ To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed.

Manuscript received 27 July 1987. Revision accepted 15 January 1988.

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