Testicular and Esophageal Lesions in Zinc-deficient Rats and Their Reversibility

Abstract

Weanling male rats fed a zinc-deficient diet (containing 30% isolated soybean protein and less than 0.5 ppm of zinc) developed characteristic esophageal and testicular lesions as early as day 7. By day 14, all of the rats had such lesions. Comparable tissues from pair-fed, paired-weight, and ad libitum-fed controls showed no esophageal or testicular lesions. The weight of the testis relative to body weight was not reduced in zinc-deficient rats as compared with ad libitum-fed controls; however, when compared with either pair-fed or paired-weight controls, testis weight was more severely affected than was body weight. Following 28 days of depletion, repletion with zinc resulted in a partial reversal after 6 days and complete disappearance of the lesions after 15 days. Thus, esophageal mucosa and testicular tubules appear to be highly sensitive to dietary zinc content and begin to respond to zinc deficiency or its correction within 1 week.