Relative and combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on some hair trace elements - Lack of relationship with body stores

This study was performed in order to analyze the relative and combined effe cts of ethanol and protein deficiency on hair copper, zinc, manganese, and iron content in four groups of seven animals each which were pair-fed durin g 8 wk with (1) a nutritionally adequate diet, (2) a 36% (as energy) ethano l-containing isocaloric diet, (3) a 2% protein, isocaloric diet, and (4) a 36% ethanol, 2% protein isocaloric diet, respectively, following the Lieber -DeCarli model, and to analyze the relationship between hair copper, zinc, manganese, and iron content, and the liver and muscle content of these elem ents. Although there was a trend to higher levels of all the elements analy zed in the the hair of the low-protein fed animals, differences were statis tically significant regarding copper and manganese, effects being solely at tributable to the low protein diet, not to ethanol. Moreover, hair copper w as significantly, inversely related with final weight and weight loss. Ther e were significant relationship between liver zinc and muscle zinc (r = 0.5 7, p = 0.002), but not between liver or muscle zinc and hair zinc; no corre lations were observed between muscle copper and hair copper, nor between li ver manganese and hair manganese. An inverse, statistically significant cor relation was observed between liver copper and hair copper (r = -0.39, p < 0.05).