RELATIVE AND COMBINED EFFECTS OF ETHANOL AND PROTEIN-DEFICIENCY ON ZINC, IRON, COPPER, AND MANGANESE CONTENTS IN DIFFERENT ORGANS AND URINARY AND FECAL EXCRETION

The relative contribution of protein deficiency to the altered metabol ism of certain trace elements in chronic alcoholics is not well define d, so this study was performed to analyse the relative and combined ef fects of ethanol and protein deficiency on liver, bone, muscle, and bl ood cell content of copper, zinc, iron, and manganese, and also on ser um levels and urinary and fecal excretion of these elements in four gr oups of eight animals each that were pair-fed during 8 weeks with a nu tritionally adequate diet, a 36% (as energy) ethanol-containing isocal oric diet, a 2% protein isocaloric diet, and a 36% ethanol 2% protein isocaloric diet, respectively, following the Lieber-DeCarli model. Fiv e additional rats were fed ad lib the control diet. Protein malnutriti on, but not ethanol, leads to liver zinc depletion. Both ethanol and p rotein malnutrition cause muscle zinc depletion and increase urinary z inc and manganese excretion, whereas ethanol also increases urinary ir on excretion and liver manganese content. No differences were observed regarding copper metabolism. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.