HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Zinc, Inflammation, and Aging

Study Abstract

Background: Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are common risk factors for atherosclerosis. Zinc is an essential micronutrient that can function as an antiinflammatory and antioxidative agent, and as such, it may have atheroprotective properties.

Objective: We hypothesized that zinc down-regulates the production of atherosclerosis-related cytokines/molecules in humans.

Design: To examine these effects, we conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo trial of zinc supplementation in elderly subjects. We recruited 40 healthy elderly subjects (aged 56–83 y) and randomly assigned them to 2 groups. One group was given an oral dose of 45 mg zinc/d as a gluconate for 6 mo. The other group was given a placebo. Cell culture models were conducted to study the mechanism of zinc as an atheroprotective agent.

Results: After 6 mo of supplementation, the intake of zinc, compared with intake of placebo, increased the concentrations of plasma zinc and decreased the concentrations of plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin (IL)-6, macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), secretory phospholipase A2, and malondialdehyde and hydroxyalkenals (MDA+HAE) in elderly subjects. Regression analysis showed that changes in concentrations of plasma zinc were inversely associated with changes in concentrations of plasma hsCRP, MCP-1, VCAM-1, and MDA+HAE after 6 mo of supplementation. In cell culture studies, we showed that zinc decreased the generation of tumor necrosis factor-, IL-1β, VCAM-1, and MDA+HAE and the activation of nuclear transcription factor B and increased antiinflammatory proteins A20 and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor- in human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells and human aortic endothelial cells compared with zinc-deficient cells.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that zinc may have a protective effect in atherosclerosis because of its antiinflammatory and antioxidant functions.

Study Information

Bin Bao, Ananda S Prasad, Frances WJ Beck, James T Fitzgerald, Diane Snell, Ginny W Bao, Tapinder Singh, and Lavoisier J Cardozo
Zinc decreases C-reactive protein, lipid peroxidation, and inflammatory cytokines in elderly subjects: a potential implication of zinc as an atheroprotective agent
Am J Clin Nutr
2010 June
Department of Internal Medicine School of Medicine Wayne State University Detroit MI