Humans, zinc

The balance between excess and insufficient zinc is important. Zinc deficiency occurs in many species of plants and animals, with severe adverse effects on all stages of growth, development, reproduction, and survival. In humans, zinc deficiency is associated with delayed sexual maturation in adolescent males poor growth in children impaired growth of hair, skin, and bones disrupted Vitamin A metabolism and abnormal taste acuity, hormone metabolism, and immune function. Severe zinc deficiency effects in mammals are usually prevented by diets containing >30 mg Zn/kg DW ration. Zinc deficiency effects are reported in aquatic organisms at nominal concentrations between 0.65 and 6.5 pg Zn/L of medium, and in piscine diets at <15 mg Zn/kg FW ration. Avian diets should contain >25 mg Zn/kg DW ration for prevention of zinc deficiency effects, and <178 mg Zn/kg DW for prevention of marginal sublethal effects. 

Casey, C.E. and K.M. Hambidge. 1980. Epidemiological aspects of human zinc deficiency. Pages 1-27 in J.O. Nriagu (ed.). Zinc in the Environment. Part II Health Effects. John Wiley, NY. 

Fridell, R. a., et al.. Identification of a novel human zinc finger protein that specifically interacts with the activation domain of lentiviral Tat proteins. Virology, 1995, 209(2), 347-57. 

Heltweg, B., Dequiedt, F., Verdin, F. and Jung, M. (2003) Nonisotopic substrate for assaying both human zinc and NAD + -dependent histone deacetylases. Analytical Biochemistry, 319, 42 8. 

Insulin, Human Regular and Human NPH Mixture Insulin, Human, Zinc Suspension Insulin, Lispro Solution Insulin, NPH... 

The numerous causes of human zinc deficiency, and conditions in which it exists, have been summarized by Prasad.50 52 They include nutrition (inadequate diet), excessive alcohol ingestion, liver disease, gastrointestinal disorders (such as Crohn s disease), neoplastic diseases (conditioned... 

Some studies describe interactions of inorganic tin and organotin compounds with other chemicals which either increase or decrease the toxicological properties of the tin compounds. Iron and copper lessen the effects of growth depression and decreased hemoglobin seen in rats fed stannous chloride at high doses for 4-13 weeks (DeGroot 1973). Tin also interacts with other essential metals. In bioavailability studies in humans, zinc uptake was decreased when tin, iron, and zinc were administered in equal doses (Solomon et al. 1983). 

The techniques used to obtain these data and to define the extended model of zinc metabolism are Important to define changes In zinc metabolism In both normal and pathological states and are particularly useful as an aid In definition of zinc deficiency. Human zinc deficiency has been difficult to Identify because Its symptoms are complex and variable (, 8-11) ranging from Impairments of taste and smell to skin rash and dwarfism. There Is presently no adequate clinical test for the diagnosis of zinc deficiency In humans, which further complicates Its Identification. Zinc content In serum, plasma, red blood cells,urine, saliva or hair have proven Inadequate for specific diagnosis of Individual cases of zinc deflclency(6,8-12). 

Bassily, S., Darby, W. J., Human Zinc Deficiency, Endocrine Manifestations and Response to Treatment, Am. /. Clin, Nutr, (1967) 20, 422. 

In humans, zinc deficiencies are more serious. Zinc is used to build molecules of DNA. DNA is the chemical in the body that tells cells what chemicals they should make. It directs the reproduction of humans also. 

Hambidge M. Human zinc deficiency. J Nutr 2000 130 1344S-9S. 

Evidence that dietary fiber interfered with absorption of bivalent metals by the intestine was first ob -tained in connection with studies of human zinc deficiency in Iran. Human subjects who consumed purified phytate exhibited smaller feeal losses of zinc and calcium than they did when they ate equivalent amounts of phytate in the form of unleavened wheaten whole meal flat breads that are the staple food in rural Iran... 

Moynanhan EJ (1974) Acrodermatitis enteropath-ica a lethal inherited human zinc-deficiency disorder. Lancet 2 399-400. 

Kung JC and Tuenlund JR (1989) Human zinc requirements. In Mills CF, ed. Zinc in Human Biology, pp. 335-350. Springer-Verlag Berlin, Germany. 

The first abnormalities of human zinc metabolism were reported by Vallee et al. (1956), and Prasad et al. (1961) suspected zinc deficiency to occur in young men from Iran. These suspicions were subsequently confirmed following a series of studies which were conducted in Egypt (Prasad et al. 1963, Sandstead et al. 1967). 

Flanagan P, Cluett J, Chamberlain M and Val-BERG L (1985) Dual-isotope method for determination of human zinc absorption the use of a test meal of turkey meat. J Nutr 115 111 — 122. 

Human zinc deficiency, endocrine manifestations and response to treatment. Am J Clin Nutr 20 422 -442. 

Prasad, A.S. (1988). Clinical spectrum and diagnostic aspects of human zinc deficiency In Prasad, A.S. Ed Current Topics in nutrition and disease. Volume 18, Alan Liss, New York. 

King JC. 1986. Assessment of techniques for determining human zinc requirements. J Am Diet Assoc 86(11) 1523-1528. 

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