Phosphorus retention, animal studies

Animal studies indicate that nutritional deficiencies in a number of essential elements (e.g., calcium, iron, zinc, copper, phosphorus) may impact the toxicokinetic and toxicological behavior of lead (ATSDR 1993 Chaney et al. 1989). In infants and children, lead retention has been shown to be inversely correlated with calcium intake (Johnson and Tenuta 1979 Sorrell et al. 1977 Ziegler et al. 1978). Zinc has been shown to have a protective effect against lead toxicity in a number of animal species (Goyer 1986 Haeger-Aronsen et al. 1976 Brewer et al. 1985 Cerklewski and Forbes 1976). 

Interaction between zinc and calcium has been demonstrated In several animal studies (l- ). It has been shown that calcium antagonizes the biological effects of zinc and that calcium reduces the availability of zinc for absorption. This decrease In zinc absorption resulted In severe malnutrition and parakeratosis (1.-7.) Several studies have conclusively shown that the calclum-zlnc antagonism studied In animals Is due to excess phytic acid In the diet (, 9). However, In the absence of phytic acid, excess dietary calcium per se has also been shown to decrease the Intestinal absorption and the retention of zinc In rats (10). This Inhibitory effect on zinc absorption. Induced by calcium, was further enhanced by the addition of phosphorus to the high calcium Intake (11). 

Reports of lead-nutrient interactions in experimental animals have generally described such relationships in terms of a single nutrient, using relative absorption or tissue retention in the animal to index the effect. Most of the data are concerned with the impact of dietary levels of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and vitamin D. These interaction studies are summarized in Table 2-12. 

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