2007 Volume 24 Pages 139-144
Effect of dietary zinc (Zn) level on tissue Zn distribution in mice was examined over two generations. Male and female eight-week-old ddy mice were fed diets containing 10 or 100 ppm of Zn as zinc sulfate or an oyster extract; there were four dietary groups consisted of both male and female mice. The groups were designated as follows: 10 ppm Zn as zinc sulfate, SL; 100 ppm Zn as zinc sulfate, SH; 10 ppm Zn as oyster extract, OL; 100 ppm Zn as oyster extract, OH. After 2 weeks of feeding, the mice were mated in each dietary group and then fed each diet for 6 weeks further. The second generation of mice born during these 6 weeks were nursed by the mother mouse and then fed each diet for 3 weeks. In the first generation mice, serum Zn levels of the SH and OH groups were higher than those of the SL and OL groups, but there were no difference among the four dietary groups in Zn levels of the liver, kidney, spleen, tibia, testis and hair. In the second generation, Zn levels in tibia, testis, hair and serum of the SH and OH groups were higher than those of the SL and OL groups. Differences in the sex and dietary Zn source (zinc sulfate or oyster extract) did not influence the serum, organ or hair Zn levels. These findings indicate that organ and hair Zn levels remain constant in mature female mice throughout their pregnancy and lactation periods even though they are fed diets with Zn levels varying from 10 to 100 ppm. However, organ and hair Zn levels in immature mice varied with dietary Zn intake.
