Zinc Concentration of Liver and Kidneys from Rat Pups Nursing Dams Fed Supplemental Zinc Dipicolinate or Zinc Acetate

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Abstract
The zinc concentration of liver and kidneys was determined in rat pups nursing dams given 10 µg Zn/ml as either zinc dipicolinate or zinc acetate in water solution during the last week of gestation and for 5 days of lactation. Dams were fed a casein-based diet that contained 8.5 µg Zn/g and 2.0 µg pyridoxine-HCl/g during this period. The zinc concentrations of both liver and kidneys from the 5-day-old pups nursing dams fed the zinc dipicolinate solution were significantly greater that the zinc concentrations of these tissues from pups nursing dams given a solution of zinc acetate. The results demonstrate that a greater quantity of dietary zinc is transferred from the intestine of the lactating female rat to the pups when zinc is fed in the form of zinc dipicolinate.