Interaction between ethanol and low dietary zinc during gestation and lactation in the rat

Pregnant rats were fed individual liquid diets throughout gestation and lactation. The diets contained either 2 or 10 micrograms zinc/ml diet with or without 30% of the kilocalories supplied from ethanol. The low zinc diet produced a moderate zinc deficiency in dams evidenced by decreases in tissue zinc content, serum alkaline phosphatase activity and urinary zinc concentration. Despite the presence of high zinc content in the diet, ethanol antagonized the maternal zinc status to a level typical of that produced by the low zinc diet. The lowest zinc status, however, was found when low dietary zinc and ethanol were combined. The maternal interaction between ethanol and zinc also depressed offspring serum zinc and alkaline phosphatase activity in a similar manner. Ethanol, however, did not affect tissue content of calcium, magnesium or phosphorus, which indicates that ethanol is a specific antagonist of zinc utilization during gestation and lactation.