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To investigate the effects of zinc deficiency on oxidative damage to testes proteins, lipids and DNA, weanling male rats were allowed free access to low (0.5 microgram Zn/g) or adequate (25 micrograms Zn/g) zinc diets for 14 d. A third group was restricted intake of the adequate Zn diet to the amount consumed by the low Zn diet-fed group. Compared with ad libitum-fed controls, testes from rats fed the low zinc diet had lower glutamine synthetase activity, lower Fe(2+)-stimulated 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) production, higher protein carbonyl concentrations (P < 0.05), and higher 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine levels (P = 0.06). Glutamine synthetase activity in testes of the food-restricted controls was between the values for the ad libitum controls and zinc-deficient animals. Protein carbonyls were higher in the restricted controls compared with the ad libitum controls, whereas stimulated TBARS production was lower (P < 0.05). Levels of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine were lower in testes DNA of the restricted controls than in the zinc-deficient group (P < 0.05). Testes iron concentrations were higher in the zinc-deficient and restricted control rats than in ad libitum controls (P < 0.05). The oxidative damage observed may have occurred as a consequence of increased reactive oxygen species generation secondary to tissue iron accumulation and/or reductions in zinc-dependent antioxidant processes.
Oteiza et al. (Sat,) studied this question.