HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Zinc Boosts T3 and Free T4 Levels

Study Abstract

48 weaned male Sprague-Dawley rats with an initial average body weight of 41 g were divided into 4 groups of 12 animals (zinc-deficient; zinc-adequate, pair-fed with zinc-deficient group; selenium-deficient; selenium-adequate) for 40 days. All groups were fed a semisynthetic diet with casein being the source of protein. In the selenium-deficient diet, there was a selenium concentration of 0.038 mg/kg. The other diets were supplemented with Na-selenite in order to adjust the selenium concentration to 0.3 mg/kg. In the zinc-deficient diet, there was a zinc concentration of 4.1 mg/kg. The zinc concentrations in the other diets were adjusted to 45 mg/kg by the addition of zinc-sulfate heptahydrate. Zinc-deficient rats were characterized by a markedly reduced alkaline phosphatase activity in their serum, whilst selenium-deficient rats showed a markedly reduced glutathione peroxidase in serum proving their respective zinc-deficient and selenium-deficient states. Zinc deficiency decreased concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3) and free thyroxine (fT4) in serum by approximately 30% when compared with zinc-adequate controls. The concentration of thyroxine (T4) in serum was not affected by zinc deficiency. Selenium-deficient animals had lower concentrations of T3 and T4 than selenium-adequate animals. The concentration of fT4 in serum was not affected by selenium deficiency. The activity of hepatic type I 5'deiodinase was decreased by 67% by zinc deficiency and by 47% by selenium deficiency compared to adequate controls. The study data show that both zinc and selenium deficiency affect the metabolism of thyroid hormones.

Study Information

Kralik A, Eder K, Kirchgessner M.
Influence of zinc and selenium deficiency on parameters relating to thyroid hormone metabolism.
Institute of Nutrition Physiology, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.
1996 May
Institute of Nutrition Physiology, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.