Low Zinc Intake Affects Maintenance of Pregnancy in Guinea Pigs

Abstract

Zinc deficiency during pregnancy has severe effects in animals. To what extent the effects in animals apply to human pregnancy is not known. Because the pregnant guinea pig shares characteristics with pregnant women that make it a useful model, three experiments were done with guinea pigs in which Zn intake was reduced beginning on the 30th d of gestation. Reduced Zn intake in two of the three experiments resulted in abortion or premature delivery. Zinc-supplemented animals with feed intake restricted to that of Zn-deficient animals also aborted or delivered prematurely. Zinc-supplemented animals fed for ad libitum access delivered living young at term. Fetal/neonatal liver Zn concentration was low in the guinea pigs compared to that reported for other animals and was affected to a lesser extent by low Zn intake by the dam. Zinc concentration of neonatal plasma was also less than that in several other species. Change in activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme with addition of Zn in vitro was greater in the plasma of Zn-deficient guinea pigs than in that of Zn-adequate guinea pigs and may be useful as an indicator of Zn status.

Relationship between moderate food restriction during pregnancy and Fe, Zn and Cu contents in maternal tissues and foetuses

“…It is well known that maternal Fe deficiency anaemia increases preterm delivery and low birth weight (Scholl and Hediger, 1994), and severe Zn (Masters et al, 1983;Apgar and Everett, 1991) or Cu (Hall and Howell, 1969) (fig 3).…”

Correlation between serum zinc levels and successful immunotherapy in recurrent spontaneous abortion patients

“…Apgar et al , showed that zinc intake affects the maintenance of guinea pig pregnancy. [46] Also, Graham et al , in 2009 demonstrated that serum zinc and copper concentrations had a positive correlation with spontaneous abortion in cows. [47] In this study, patients with RSA who responded to LIT due to their positive cross-match had higher serum zinc levels than those with negative cross-match test.…”

Zinc

“…The introduction of a Zn-deficient diet in mice during pregnancy can result in severe embryonic and fetal pathologies including prenatal death and a high incidence of central nervous system, soft tissue, skeletal defects, and postnatal behavioral abnormalities (NRC, 1995). Apgar and Everett (1991) reported abortion and premature delivery in Zn-deficient guinea pigs. Hamsters raised on a Zn-deficient diet showed weight loss, cessation of growth, and disruption of estrus cycle.…”