Zinc metabolism and metallothionein expression in bone marrow during erythropoiesis

Zinc metabolism and metallothionein induction in rat bone marrow were investigated during induced erythropoiesis. Redistribution of body zinc was measured with 65Zn after acute blood loss in rats fed zinc-restricted or zinc-adequate diets. Uptake of 65Zn by bone marrow was related to time after blood loss, metallothionein induction, and dietary zinc status. Increased 65Zn uptake by marrow of zinc-restricted rats suggests a minimal amount of zinc is necessary to support expansion of the erythrocytic compartment. Zinc induction of marrow metallothionein also occurred in rats in which anemia was produced using phenylhydrazine. Anemic rats which were administered zinc had higher concentrations of marrow metallothionein compared with control rats. Induction of marrow metallothionein by zinc in nonanemic rats required prior treatment with erythropoietin. Percoll fractionation showed marrow metallothionein was most abundant in erythroblasts. These experiments suggest metallothionein synthesis occurs in erythropoietin-sensitive precursor cells in the marrow in response to increased zinc accessibility.

Kinetics of zinc absorption by the rat jejunum: effects of adrenalectomy and dexamethasone

Effects of dexamethasone and adrenalectomy on the kinetics of jejunal 65Zn uptake and absorption were studied in the anesthetized adult rat. The jejunal lumen was perfused in situ with 5 mM glucose in 150 mM saline containing 65Zn and [14C]polyethylene glycol as volume marker. Over the 30-min perfusion period, the rate of net 65Zn removal from the perfusate was biexponential due to the establishment of a return flux to the lumen. An open two-compartment model satisfactorily describes these observations: (formula; see text) Dexamethasone (2 mg/kg ip 7 h before perfusion) increased k12 by 75% (P less than 0.0002) and decreased k20 by 45% (P less than 0.04). Both effects were independent of adrenalectomy. Mathematical simulations using the compartmental model and experimentally determined kinetic constants predicted that transfer of 65Zn into the body should be enhanced by adrenalectomy and retarded by dexamethasone administered to adrenalectomized rats. Dexamethasone and adrenalectomy thus differentially affect Zn uptake and absorption in this system, suggesting a possible adrenocortical hormone involvement in the regulation of Zn absorption. These changes are apparently not mediated via metallothionein.

The uptake of zinc-65 by oats in relation to soil water content and root growth

Effects of water content of the topsoil on root growth and 65Zn absorption by oats were measured. Seminal roots of oats grew through a labelled uptake layer that had been initially wetted to various water contents. The uptake layer was separated from adjacent layers of wet sand or soil by a thin layer of wax. When the uptake layer was wetted initially and allowed to dry during the uptake period, water content affected root growth and 65Zn uptake similarly. 65Zn absorption by unbranched seminal roots decreased linearly as soil water suction increased from 0.3 to 5 bar. Nevertheless significant amounts of 65Zn were absorbed (40% of that from wet soil) even when the soil water suction exceeded 15 bar, with negligible concomitant uptake of water. Provided the roots had access to water in a subjacent layer, rates of 65Zn absorption from dry soil increased with the age of the plants. The exudation of mucilage from the root was enhanced locally where the soil was dry. The mucilage may facilitate the transfer of zinc to the root in dry soil.