The Effect of Severe Zinc Deficiency and Zinc Supp

Authors: S Tahmasebi Boroujeni N Naghdi M Shahbazi A Farrokhi F Bagherzadeh A Kazemnejad M Javadian

Publish Date: 2009/01/28

Volume: 130, Issue: 1, Pages: 48-61

PDF Link

Abstract

Zinc deficiency during pregnancy and during lactation has been shown to impair cognitive function and motor activity in offspring rats In the present study the effect of zinc deficiency and zinc supplement on spatial learning and memory in Morris Water Maze MWM and motor activity in open field were investigated Pregnant rats after mating were divided to three groups Control group fed a standard diet and a zinc deficient ZnD group fed a diet deficient in zinc 05–15 ppm and a zinc supplement ZnS group fed a standard diet and enhanced zinc in the drinking water 10 ppm All the diets were exposed during the last trisemester of pregnancy and during lactation Rat’s offspring in these groups were tested for spatial learning and memory in MWM at post natal day PND 56 and were tested for motor activity in open field at PND 66The Escape Latency EL and Traveled Distance TD in the ZnD group were increased but Percentage of Time Spent in the target quadrant PTS was decreased compared to the control group In addition these were no significant differences in EL and TD but PTS had significant increase in ZnS compared to the control group In the open field Total Distance Moved TDM and Time of Motor Activity TMA for the ZnD were decreased compared to the control group but there were no significant differences in TDM and TMA between control and ZnS groups These findings suggest that zinc deficiency during the last trimester of pregnancy and during lactation impaired spatial learning and memory in their offsprings and has also negative effect on motor activity In addition ZnS has a significant effect on spatial learning and memory but no effect on motor activity in their offsprings

Keywords: