[Effect of exogenous zinc deficiency on the duration of skin graft functioning]

The influence of alimentary zinc deficiency on duration of skin allograft functioning was studied in experiments on guinea pigs. Feeding the animals with a ration deprived of zinc results in significant prolongation of the skin graft functioning period. Thus, in the test group animals that received the ration deprived of zinc the mean time of the graft functioning comprised 24.0 +/- 1.4 days, while in the guinea pigs of the control group that were fed with full value ration, this parameter was 9.9 +/- 0.42 days. At the same time the number of circulating lymphocytes was decreased and their capacity for spontaneous rosette-formation was suppressed in the peripheral blood of the test group animals, as well as manifest inhibition of zinc-dependent enzymes (lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, carbonic anhydrase) in the blood was recorded. Zinc deficiency in the ration induces significant diminution of this trace element content in the muscles, bones, liver, skin and blood, under conditions of its daily negative balance in the body.