[Influence of zinc deficiency on lipid metabolism]

Thirty-five male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats with an average live weight of 32 g were divided into three groups. The Zn-deficient group of 14 animals was given 1.3 mg Zn/kg of diet for 23 days, while the pair-fed control group with 14 animals and the ad libitum fed control group with 7 animals were both fed 100 mg Zn/kg of diet. Serum was assayed for triglycerides, total lipids, cholesterol, cholintesterase, free fatty acids and beta-lipoproteins, and duodenal juice for trypsin. While the serum concentrations of beta-lipoprotein, total lipids and total cholesterol were not different in response to Zn deficiency, the activity of the cholinesterase activity was reduced, the triglyceride concentrations and trypsin activity increased. Similarly, the serum free fatty acids were elevated compared to the ad libitum fed controls. This disturbances in Zn-deficient rats are discussed in connection with the lipid metabolism.