Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H P Roth

Publications and source records attributed to H P Roth.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Influence of zinc and calcium deficiency on the concentrations of calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 in rat serum.

48 male Sprague-Dawley rats with an average live weight of 141 g were assigned to four groups of 12 animals each. Group I was fed the basal diet (63 mg/kg of Zn, 8.8 g/kg of Ca), group II received a Ca-deficient diet (0.043 g/kg of Ca), group III was fed a Zn-deficient diet (1.1 mg/kg of Zn), and group IV received a diet with a combined Zn- and Ca-deficiency (1.1 mg/kg of Zn; 0.043 g/kg of Ca). Each of the four groups was fed the same daily quantity of rations, which was based on the food uptake of the deficient groups III and IV. After 28 days of the experiment, the rats were anesthesized with ether and sacrificed. In the obtained serum, the concentrations of calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 were measured by radioimmune assays. The Zn- and Ca-concentrations in the serum served as parameters for the status of Zn- and Ca-supply. 1. Dietary Ca-deficiency had no influence on the development of live weight of the rats in the case of restricted feeding. Zn-deficiency, however, strongly reduced live weight development. 2. Alimentary Ca-deficiency reduced the Ca-concentration of the serum by 34%, the calcitonin concentration by 17%, and the 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 concentration by 82% as compared to the levels in control animals, whereas the concentrations of Zn and parathyroid hormone remained unchanged. 3. Alimentary Zn-deficiency reduced the Zn-concentration of the serum by 63% as compared to the control animals, whereas the concentrations of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 and parathyroid hormone were increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

[Effect of marginal zinc deficiency on humoral immunity in rats].

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effects of a marginal zinc deficiency on serum immunoglobulin (Ig) IgM and IgG1 levels. 60 weanling female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups of ten animals each. Two control groups (73.7 ppm Zn) and two zinc-deficient groups (4.3 ppm Zn) were fed a semisynthetic casein diet ad libitum. The animals of two further groups received the control diet (73.7 ppm Zn) pair-fed to the zinc-deficient animals. After 15 days the rats of one group of each treatment were infected i.m. with a single injection (0.2 ml) of a bovine enterovirus, apathogenous to rats. 3 weeks later, all rats were anesthetized with ether and decapitated. Infection of the rats with the bovine enterovirus had no effect on the serum immunoglobulin level. The marginal zinc deficiency did not alter the IgM and IgG1 serum concentrations at all either. It remains to be examined whether other Ig-classes will react to marginal zinc deficiency. Also, the effect of severe zinc deficiency on the humoral immune system must be studied.

Animals↗

Calmodulin, zinc and calcium concentration in tissues of zinc- and calcium-deficient rats.

To demonstrate the effect of zinc and/or calcium deficiency on calmodulin concentration and also the antagonistic behavior of zinc and calcium in metabolism, four groups of eight rats each were provided the following diets in equal amounts: group I, the basic diet with 63 ppm zinc and 0.88% calcium; group II, the calcium-deficient diet (0.0043% calcium); group III, the zinc-deficient diet (1.1 ppm zinc); and group IV, the combined zinc/calcium-deficient diet. The zinc-deficient diet significantly reduced the zinc concentration in serum (72%), femur (65%), pancrease (34%), muscle (23%), testis (11%) and brain (7%), and elevated the calcium concentration in testis (19%) and brain (24%), but did not affect calcium concentration in serum, pancreas and muscle. Likewise, calcium deficiency reduced the calcium concentration in serum (56%), femur (40%), pancreas (16%), muscle (43%), testis (19%) and brain (24%), and elevated the zinc concentration in femur (22%), although the zinc concentration in serum, pancreas, muscle and testis remained unaffected. Combined zinc and calcium deficiency elevated both the zinc as well as the calcium concentration in serum, femur and muscle, as compared to zinc or calcium deficiency alone. The alkaline phosphatase activity was reduced by 52% during zinc deficiency and was elevated by a factor of 2.5 during calcium deficiency. The calmodulin concentrations in muscle, testis and brain, as determined by radioimmunoassay, were elevated during both zinc as well as calcium deficiency, although this elevation could not be confirmed in every case.

Animals↗

[Effect of dietary zinc deficiency on vitamin A and alpha-tocopherol metabolism in the rat].

In order to study the effect of alimentary zinc deficiency on vitamin A and alpha-tocopherol metabolism, weaned, male Sprague-Dawley rats with a mean weight of 48 g were divided into three groups. Zinc depletion animals (n = 7) were provided a half-synthetic, casein-based diet with a zinc concentration of 1.3 ppm; the pair-fed (n = 7) and ad libitum-fed (n = 6) control animals were given a diet containing 96 ppm zinc. After 24 days, the serum zinc level for depletion animals was 80% lower than the level for the two control groups, although the vitamin A, beta-carotine and tocopherol concentrations in deficiency animals and in pair-fed control animals did not differ significantly from one another. In comparison with adlibitum-fed control rats, however, vitamin A and beta-carotine concentrations in depletion and pair-fed animals were elevated. The zinc concentration in livers of deficiency animals was reduced only in comparison to the value for pair-fed control animals, while the vitamin A, beta-carotine and alpha-tocopherol concentrations in livers of zinc-deficient animals were reduced in comparison to the values for both of the control groups. Nevertheless, these changes are less likely a result of zinc deficiency per se, but rather are more likely a result of the lowered feed intake during zinc deficiency and the reduced growth.

Animals↗

[The effect of a different protein supply with regard to quality and quantity on growth and serum growth hormone in weaned rats].

A two-factorially experiment was done over a period of 42 days using 32 male, weaned Sprague-Dawley rats in order to study the effect of insufficient protein supplementation, with regard to quantity and quality (13% protein in comparison to 18%, and an essential amino acid index of 64 in comparison to 92%, resp.), on weight development and serum growth hormone concentration. Qualitative protein deficiency had a greater adverse effect on weight development and feed utilization than did quantitative protein deficiency. Both test factors combined brought about the lowest body weight and poorest feed utilization. A lowered hematocrit value occurred only after quantitative protein deficiency. The serum urea concentration was elevated after protein deficiency due to poor quality protein; the serum protein concentration tended toward reduction in both the case of qualitative as well as in the case of qualitative-quantitative protein deficiency. After providing the animals poor quality protein, growth hormone levels in serum were reduced, whereas the concurrence of both factors of protein deficiency caused the growth hormone concentration in serum to rise to a value 4.2-fold of the control value.

Animal Feed↗

[Effect of the Zn supply on alkaline ribonuclease activity in rats].

The purpose of this paper was to show whether the activity of the zinc-dependent enzyme alkaline ribonuclease in zinc-sensitive tissues allows conclusions to be drawn on the Zn supply status. For this 27 weaned male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups of 9 animals each. A Zn deficiency group, which was given a diet with a Zn content of 3 ppm ad libitum, was compared to a pair-fed and an ad libitum control group with a Zn content in the diet of 60 ppm each. After 22 trial days the animals were killed, and the zinc and protein contents as well as the activity of the alkaline ribonuclease in the serum, testicles, femur, urine, liver, and kidneys were determined. Although the Zn concentration in the serum, testicles, femur, and kidneys of the deficiency animals were significantly reduced, the alkaline ribonuclease showed an increased activity only in the kidneys, in the testicles the activity was reduced, and in the serum, femur, urine and liver it remained unchanged. The protein concentration in serum and femur was reduced because of Zn deficiency, whereas the decrease in testicles, liver and kidneys must be attributed to the reduced feed intake. The influence of the dietary Zn deficiency on the activity of the alkaline ribonuclease was therefore more the result of an altered feed intake and growth rate than a direct effect of zinc on the enzymatic system. Therefore the determination of the activity of the alkaline ribonuclease can be excluded as a parameter for the diagnosis of Zn supply and Zn deficiency.

Animal Feed↗

Utilization of zinc from picolinic or citric acid complexes in relation to dietary protein source in rats.

Young male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided in 18 groups of eight animals each and were fed ad libitum for 24 d a purified diet with 20% casein, whey protein or serum albumin as protein source. Each diet was supplemented with zinc picolinate, zinc citrate or zinc sulfate to a level of dietary zinc equal to 5 or 10 ppm. The source of zinc had no significant effect on zinc utilization with any of the three dietary proteins or at either dietary zinc concentration. With the 5 ppm Zn diet zinc concentration in the serum, but not weight gain or the zinc concentration in femur, testis or whole body was lower in rats fed the casein diet than in those fed the whey diet. Zinc concentrations in serum, femur, testis and whole body, but not weight gain, were lower in rats fed the casein diet than in those fed the serum albumin diet. With the 10 ppm Zn diet, zinc concentrations in serum, femur and whole body, but not weight gain nor zinc concentration in testis, were lower in rats fed the casein diet than in those fed either of the other diets. These results suggest that the reason for the lower utilization of zinc from cow milk in comparison to human milk may be the higher casein concentration in cow milk.

Animals↗

Historical review: comparison with other methods.

Each technique used to measure compliance has limitations. A simple and commonly used technique is to ask the patient whether the regimen has been followed. When the patient states that the regimen has been followed exactly, it usually has not. If only minor deviation is reported, the deviation is usually understated. However, if the patient states that the regimen was not followed, this is almost always corroborated. In another approach, the attending physician or medical staff estimates the patients' level of compliance. They usually overestimate, but not by as much as the patients. Physicians vary in their ability to accurately estimate their patients' compliance, and some physicians' estimates are better for one type of patient than another. Another measure of compliance that can be easily obtained is faithfulness in keeping clinic or office appointments. Although useful in itself, it is usually not a good indication of how well patients are following their medication regimen. A fourth approach is to determine the number of tablets for which patients obtain prescriptions. This is a poor indicator of medicine intake. Further, the number of pills that the patient actually obtains from the pharmacy is not a good indicator. Probably the best of the simple measures is a pill count. To measure this, the pills remaining in the patient's prescription bottle are counted. The difference between the number remaining and the number given in the prescription is presumed to have been taken. Although the pill count is useful, when this count is compared to blood or urine levels of the medication or of a marker contained in the tablets, some patients show discrepancies. Thus, none of the simple measures is entirely satisfactory.

Drug Prescriptions↗

[Influence of picolinic acid and citric acid on intestinal absorption of zinc in vitro and in vivo].

The influence of the ligands picolinic acid and citric acid on the intestinal absorption of zinc was studied in two different experimental trials with Zn-depleted and Zn-supplied pair-fed rats using everted sacs in vitro and the ligated small intestine in vivo. ZnSO4 was applied in water solution (pH 5.8) without ligands or together with picolinic acid at a molar ratio of 1:0.2, 1:2, and 1:20 or together with citric acid at a molar ratio of 1:1, 1:10, and 1:100. The intestinal Zn transfer of the Zn-depleted rats with picolinic acid is significantly increased only at a molar ratio of 1:20 (zinc:ligand) (P less than 0.001). The other in vitro results of Zn absorption were only slightly improved, mainly at the high molar excess of picolinic acid in comparison to ZnSO4 without ligands. Only a tendency for an increased Zn transfer--however, already at a narrow molar ratio of 1:1 or 1:10--could be seen when citric acid was added. The intestinal uptake was not influenced by citric acid. The absorption of zinc in vivo did not vary in dependence of the addition of picolinic or citric acid in different molar ratio in comparison to ZnSO4 addition without ligands. Zn-depleted rats showed a significantly higher Zn absorption rate than Zn supplied pair-fed rats independently of the kind of ligand and the zinc:ligand ratio (P less than 0.001). These results are discussed in detail.

Animals↗

[Effect of different concentrations of various zinc complexes (picolinate, citrate, 8-hydroxyquinolate) in comparison with sulfate on zinc supply status in rats].

12 groups of 8 young male Sprague-Dawley rats received a semisynthetic casein-diet, whose zinc concentration (1.3 ppm) was adjusted to 5, 10 and 15 ppm by supplementation of various Zn complexes or salts like Zn citrate, Zn picolinate, Zn 8-hydroxyquinolate and Zn sulfate. After 24 days all animals were killed and examined on parameters of zinc supply status. The weight gain of the animals with 5 ppm dietary zinc was strongly reduced compared to groups with the higher dietary zinc content. The type of the supplemented Zn compound showed in no way an influence on the live-weight of the animals. The zinc concentration of the tissues, too, was only dependent on the level of the dietary zinc concentration and not on the type of supplemented zinc compound. The activity of the alkaline phosphatase in serum, a zinc metalloenzyme, was altogether reduced in the zinc-deficient animals with 5 ppm dietary zinc content, but showed a significant higher activity in the citrate and 8-hydroxyquinolate group than in the sulfate and picolinate group. Also the percent zinc-binding capacity of serum, a good indicator for estimating the zinc supply status of rats, showed a better zinc supply of the citrate group with 5 as well as 10 ppm dietary zinc, compared with the other groups on the same dietary zinc content. The serum zinc concentration of rats with 5 ppm as Zn citrate was more than twice higher than in animals given zinc as picolinate, 8-hydroxyquinolate or sulfate. The results indicate a better utilization of zinc chelated by citric acid than by picolinic acid, 8-hydroxyquinoline or as salt like sulfate. But the higher bioavailability of zinc in human milk should not only be attributed to the presence of citrate.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

[Effect of zinc deficiency on 3',5'-cyclic-AMP content and parameters of energy metabolism in the rat].

Loss of appetite, strongly reduced feed intake, and stop in weight gain are characteristic signs of alimentary zinc deficiency. The present paper investigates some parameters of the energy metabolism of Zn-deficient rats in order to obtain information on possible disturbances. The blood of Zn-deficient rats showed an increased activity of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) in comparison to ad-libitum- and pair-fed control animals. Therefore the concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was reduced and the concentration of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) increased in deficient animals. As a consequence, the ratio ATP/ADP was strongly reduced in Zn-deficient rats compared with both control groups. The concentration of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) was reduced in the blood of Zn-deficient rats. The levels of c-AMP in serum and urine were markedly increased in Zn-deficient rats in comparison with both control groups. Key enzymes of energetic utilization of carbohydrates such as fructose-1.6-biphosphatase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were reduced in their activities in livers and kidneys of Zn-deficient animals. The results show that alimentary Zn deficiency impairs some parameters of the energy metabolism. The problems of reduced feed intake in Zn deficiency still remain unsolved.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

[Zn-binding capacity of serum. A parameter for diagnosing marginal Zn deficiency (author's transl)].

In two experiments with male Sprague-Dawley rats, the influence of varying the dietary Zn content on per cent Zn-binding capacity of the serum was to be measured. In the first experiment, young rats were given, after a 14-day Zn depletion, the following diets with 1.3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 20, and 100 mg Zn/kg DM for 2 weeks. Per cent Zn-binding capacity of the serum was 90% in the extreme deficiency range and decreased to less than 60% with increasing dietary Zn content, whereas the serum Zn content rose steadily with the Zn supply. Following Zn injection, per cent Zn-binding capacity of the serum significantly decreased to values around 70% in all animals of the groups given 1.3--12 mg dietary Zn. At 20 and 100 mg/kg of diet, per cent Zn-binding capacity of the serum was not affected by Zn injection. In the second experiment, per cent Zn-binding capacity of the serum was also found to depend upon Zn supply without prior depletion in rats of three different age groups with life weights of 50, 100, and 300 g. Under these experimental conditions, per cent Zn-binding capacity of the serum proved to be a good indicator for diagnosing alimentary Zn supply.

Animals↗