Zinc has long been known to be an essential element for the growth and development of living things. In fact, zinc is present or participates in a wide variety of metabolic processes including the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and polynucleotides. The purpose of our study was to determine some aspects of the involvement of zinc in intrauterine growth and development of the rat. Thirty female Wistar rats were assigned at random to 1 of 3 dietary treatments. Group A received a normal diet, group B received a zinc-deficient diet and group C received a zinc-deficient diet plus a supplement of zinc in the drinking water. Daily food consumption, weights and plasmatic zinc levels were measured on days 1,10 and 20. Fetal weights on day 20 were also recorded. The results showed a significant difference in daily food consumption and weight gains of the dams between the group receiving the normal diet (group A) and the other two groups. Fetal weights showed a different pattern, there was a significant difference between the unsupplemented zinc-deficient group B and the other two groups which led us to think that the daily food consumption of groups B and C, even though enough to produce lower weight in the dams, was not sufficiently low to produce fetal malnutrition and that it was the adequate consumption of zinc which allowed the fetuses of group C to have similar weights to those in group A, emphasizing the requirement of this metal for normal growth.

Keywords:
Fetal weight, Plasmatic zinc concentrations, Rats, Trace elements, Zinc
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© 1986 S. Karger AG, Basel
1986
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