• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.363-366
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• 2014

Zinc is considered to be involved in maintaining healthy vascular condition. Atherosclerotic calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) occurs via the mechanism of cell death; therefore, cell viability is a critical factor for preventing VSMC calcification. In this study, we tested whether zinc affected VSMC viability under both normal physiological non-calcifying (0 mM P) and atherosclerotic calcifying conditions (3 and 5 mM P), since VSMC physiological characters change during the VSMC calcification process. The study results showed that an optimal zinc level ($15{\mu}M$) restored the decreased VSMC viability which was induced under low zinc levels (0 and $1{\mu}M$) and calcifying conditions (3 and 5 mM P) at 9 and 15 days culture. This zinc-protecting effect for VSMC viability is more prominent under atherosclerotic calcifying condition (3 and 5 mM P) than normal condition (0 mM P). Also, the increased VSMC viability was consistent with the decreased Ca and P accumulation in VSMC cell layers. The results suggested that zinc could be an effective biomineral for preventing VSMC calcification under atherosclerotic calcifying conditions.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.356-361
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• 2010

Zinc is an essential trace element required for bone formation, however not much has been clarified yet for its role in osteoblast. We hypothesized that zinc would increase osteogenetic function in osteoblasts. To test this, we investigated whether zinc treatment enhances bone formation by stimulating osteoblast proliferation, bone marker protein alkaline phosphatase activity and collagen synthesis in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured and treated with various concentrations of zinc (0, 1, 3, 15, 25 uM) along with a normal osteogenic medium (OSM) as control for 1, 5, 10 days. As measured by MTT assay for mitochondrial metabolic activity, cell proliferation was stimulated even at low zinc treatment (1-3 ${\mu}M$) compared to OSM, and it was stimulated in a zinc concentration-dependent manner during 5 and 10 days, with the most pronounced effect at 15 and 25 uM Zn. Cellular (synthesized) alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was increased in a zinc concentration-dependent manner, so did medium (secreted) ALP activity. Cellular collagen concentration was increased by zinc as time went by, therefore with the maximum zinc stimulatory effect in 10 days, and medium collagen concentration showed the same pattern even on 1 and 5 day. This zinc stimulatory effect of collagen synthesis was observed in cell matrix collagen staining. The study results imply that zinc can increase osteogenic effect by stimulating cell proliferation, ALP activity and collagen synthesis in osteoblastic cells.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2010

The present study was designed to demonstrate ionic zinc in the rat DRG by means of zinc selenium autometallography($ZnSe^{AMG}$). Ganglion cells varied in size from 15 to 100 ${\mu}m$. The smaller neurons were strongly stained with AMG, whereas the larger cells were weakly stained. Each large ganglion cell was surrounded by perineuronal satellite cells, showing apparent AMG staining. We demonstrated for the first time the existence of zinc-containing satellite cells in the rodent DRG. Using electron microscopy, fine AMG grains were observed scattered in the somata of the DRG neurons, especially small cells. However, much lower concentrations of the AMG grains occupied in the large cells, and these were mostly localized in lysosome-like organelles. These results indicate that zinc may be involved in sensory transmission in the DRG level.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.484-492
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• 2000

In an attempt to figure out the relationship between zinc status and taste acuity of old and young women, dietary zinc intake, urinary zinc excretion, and taste acuity were determined for 118 women. Zinc intake was measured by 2-day food records and food frequency method. Urinary zinc excretion was measured from urine samples collected for twenty four hours. Body fat, lean body mass (LBM), and total body water were measured by bio-impedence. Average dietary zinc intake by food record was 4.15$\pm$1.33mg (=35% if Korean RDA) for the old women and 5.41$\pm$2.76mg (=25% of RDA) for young women. When zinc intake was measured by a frequency method, the average intakes of the old and young women were 3.5$\pm$1.7mg 4.5$\pm$1.9mg, respectively. It appears that dietary zinc intake of young women was significantly higher than that of the old women. Average urinary zinc excretion of the subjects was 0.27$\pm$0.16mg in the elderly and 0.24$\pm$0.13mg in young women, which indicated a marginal zinc status. However, zinc status was not significantly different between old and young women. Correlation analysis indicated that zinc intake and urinary zinc excretion were positively related to BMI and LBM in young women. The old women (m=49) showed significantly higher taste detection thresholds than young subjects (n=47) for both sweet and salty tastes. Recognition thresholds for sodium chloride and sucrose were not significantly different between old and young women. The lower the taste thresholds for salty taste, the higher the average dietary zinc intake. However, taste perception concentration was not related to the urinary zinc excretion level.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2005

The E.M.F. of the galvanic cell with fused salt was measured to determine the activities of zinc at 720-860 K over the entire composition range of liquid Zn-In and Zn-Sn alloys. The cell used was as follows: $$(-)W{\mid}Zn(pure){\mid}Zn^{2+}(KCl-LiCl){\mid}Zn(in\;Zn-In\;or\;Zn-Sn\;alloy){\mid}W(+)$$ The activities of zinc in the alloys showed positive deviation from Raoult's law over the entire composition range. The activity of cadmium and some thermodynamic functions such as Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy were derived from the results by the thermodynamic relationship. The comparison of the results and the literature data was made. The liquid Zn-In and Zn-Sn alloys are found to be close tn the regular solution. The concentration fluctuations in long wavelength limit, $S_{cc}(o)$, in the liquid alloy were calculated from the experimental results.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.229-236
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• 1999

in the present study, the zinc toxicity to larval development and seed attachment of the abalone, Haliotis discus hannai was obtained under continuous flow through system. The zinc concentration melted from zinc coating pipe for 7 months ranged from $89.00\pm2.55 \mu\textrm{g}/\ell to 15.23\pm2.58\mu\textrm{g}/\ell(Y=0.85M^2-19.71+109.96)$. Treatments were carried out with zinc concentration $0~160 \mu\textrm{g}/\ell$. The maximum and minimum of fertilization rate were $87.7\pm5.3%$ in control, $83.7\pm7.6%$ in zinc concentration $160\mu\textrm{g}/\ell$, respectively. The maximum and minimum of hatching rate were $87.5\pm4.5%$ in zinc concentration $10\mu\textrm{g}/\ell$, $79.3\pm5.6%$ in zinc concentration $160\mu\textrm{g}/\ell$, respectively. Both of the results were not significantly different (P>0.05). But the normality rate, setting rate and survival rate of abalone larvae at over zinc concentration TEX>$20\mu\textrm{g}/\ell$ decreased rapidly and showed significantly different from those of the other group(P<0.05).

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.258-266
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary zinc on the carbohydrate metabolism and the serum content of magnesium and chromium in rats fed normal diet. Animals were divided into three groups by different dietary zinc levels which were low(15ppm), normal(30ppm) or high(60ppm). Serum glucose and Insulin concentrations were assessed by the glucose method and the radio immuno assay respectively. Serum zinc. magnesium and chromium contents were measured by Indectively Coupled Plasma(ICP). Results of the study were as follows : 1. Feed intake in a zinc deficiency group was significantly higher than that in other group, but the weight gain in high zinc diet group was significantly lower than in other groups. 2. There were no significant differences in liver, kidney and spleen weight. 3. Serum glucose, insulin and zinc concentrations were not significantly different among different dietary zinc groups, However serum magnesium and chromium concentrations were significantly decreased as the level of dietary zinc was increased.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.83.1-83.1
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• 1985

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.143-146
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• 2010

Organic zinc was included in the diet of broiler chickens to examine its effect on the skin characteristics and the expression level of skin proteins. Broiler chicks (Ross$\times$Ross) were fed a corn-wheat-soybean meal basal diet, either as control or containing an additional 80 ppm of zinc proteinate for 4 weeks, and then five broilers from each treatment were selected randomly, slaughtered, and their skin characteristics were examined. There were significant increases (p<0.05) in thigh skin epidermis and dermis thickness in the chicks fed organic zinc. Collagen content in the skin of broilers was also increased by the addition of organic zinc to the diet. 2D-gel electrophoresis patterns indicated that expression levels of the three proteins, glyoxylase 1, hypothetical protein, and dispersin B were affected by zinc feeding. These results suggest that adding organic zinc to the chicken's feed may contribute to decreased skin tearing.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2020

Purpose: Zinc is known to be associated with osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Osterix as zinc-finger transcription factor is also related to osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether zinc modulates osterix gene and protein expression in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Methods: MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in zinc-dependent concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 5, or 15 µM Zn), along with osteogenic control (normal osteogenic medium) for 1 and 3 days. The gene and protein expression levels of osterix were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Results: Zinc increased osteoblast proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner at day 1 and 3. Similarly, zinc increased the activity of osteoblast marker enzyme alkaline phosphatase in cells and media in a zinc concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, our results showed that the pattern of osterix gene expression by zinc was down-regulated within the low levels of zinc treatments (0.5-1 µM) at day 1, but it was up-regulated after extended culture period at day 3. Osterix protein expression by zinc showed the similar pattern of gene expression, which down-regulated by low zinc levels at day 1 and up-regulated back at day 3 as the early stage of osteoblast differentiation. Conclusion: Our results suggest that zinc modulates osterix gene and protein expression in osteoblasts, particularly in low level of zinc at early stage of osteoblast differentiation period.