Zinc and Magnesium in the Uterus of the Pregnant and Pseudopregnant Mouse and the Effects of Mg2+ Ions on Uterine Alkaline Phosphatase

Abstract

The levels of zinc and magnesium in the mouse uterus during early pregnancy and pseudopregnancy were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy techniques. The total zinc and magnesium content of the uterus increased between days 5 and 12 of pregnancy and between days 5 and 9 of pseudopregnancy when decidual ceIls were present. However, the metals were not accumulated at a rate sufficient to match increases in uterine weight and constant concentrations (micrograms of metals per gram wet weight of tissue) were not maintained over the various reproductive stages studied. The accumulation of the metals was associated with the presence of decidual ceIIs, and non-decidualized horns of pseudopregnant mice failed to increase their total content of zinc and magnesium between days 5 and 9. The magnesium content of each uterus was usuaIly between 5- and I3-fold greater than the total zinc content.