Reproductive and developmental toxicities of zinc supplemented rats

• Published in: Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2011-02, Vol.31 (2), p.134-143
• Main Authors: Johnson, F.O., Gilbreath, E.T., Ogden, L., Graham, T.C., Gorham, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Chlorides - administration & dosage; Chlorides - toxicity; Dietary Supplements - toxicity; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Embryonic Development - drug effects; Energy Metabolism - drug effects; Female; Fetal Death - chemically induced; Fetal Resorption - chemically induced; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hepatotoxicity; Hydronephrosis; Kidney; Kidneys; Lactation; Litter Size - drug effects; Liver; Liver - embryology; Male; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Neprotoxicity; Organ Size - drug effects; Pregnancy; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reproduction; Reproduction - drug effects; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Teratology. Teratogens; Toxicity; Toxicology; Urinary system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Urinary tract. Prostate gland; Zinc; Zinc Compounds - administration & dosage; Zinc Compounds - toxicity
• ISSN: 0890-6238; 1873-1708
• DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2010.10.009

Reproductive and developmental toxicities of zinc supplementation in F 0 rats and F 1 progeny were examined. Rats were treated by gavaging with zinc chloride (ZnCl 2) at 0.0, 7.5, 15 and 30 mg/kg-d. ZnCl 2 treatment was associated with deficient energy imbalances, reduced number of live pups/litter, decreased live birth index, increased mortality and increased fetal resorption. Changes in serum clinical chemistry and hematologic parameters were sex-related. In F 0 females, ZnCl 2 was associated with increased liver/body weight ratios, reduced creatinine and reduced alkaline phosphatase concentrations. In F 0 males, ZnCl 2 significantly increased relative liver weight and elevated γ-GGT. In addition, at birth, F 1 males exhibited, a significant ( p < 0.05) increase in anogenital distance, whereas ZnCl 2 hastened the time of eye opening and incisor eruption in males and females. These results indicate that excess ZnCl 2 supplementation before and during pregnancy and during lactation could pose some health risk concerns to pregnant mothers and their offspring.