The effects of low dietary zinc in copper-deficient rats fed high fructose diet

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine whether low dietary zinc will ameliorate the severity of copper deficiency when a high-fructose, copper-deficient diet is fed. Four groups of weanling male rats were fed high-fructose diets containing adequate (6 μg/g) or deficient (0.6 μg/g) copper and adequate (32 μg/g) or low (8 μg/g) zinc, for 5 weeks. The ratio of zinc to copper in the diets varied from 1.3–53.3. Regardless of dietary zinc levels, rats fed the copper-deficient diets exhibited hypertrophy of the liver, heart, and testes, and atrophy of the pancreas. In addition, two rats died of the deficiency. Plasma triglycerides and cholesterol levels were also elevated in rats fed the copper-deficient diets at both zinc levels. The data show that low dietary zinc in a copper-deficient diet cannot ameliorate the signs associated with copper deficiency.