Preventive effect of zinc for toxic actions of germanium and selenium on bone metabolism in weanling rats

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Abstract
The preventive effect of zinc for the toxicic actions of germanium and selenium on bone metabolism was investigated in the femoral diaphysis of weanling rats. Germanium tetrachloride (1.53–30.60 µmol Ge/100 g b.w.) and selenium tetrachloride (1.53–7.65 µmol Se/100 g) was administered orally for 3 days. The doses of 1.53 and 7.65 µmol Ge/100 g caused a significant increase in DNA content although alkaline phosphatase activity was not altered significantly. By the dose of 30.60 µmol Ge/100 g, both alkaline phosphatase activity and DNA content were decreased significantly. Administration of selenium (1.53 and 7.65 µmol/100 g) produced significantly decreases in alkaline phosphatase activity and DNA content. The decreases of the enzyme activity and DNA content caused by administration of germanium (30.60 µmol/100 g) and selenium (7.65 µmol/100 g) were prevented completely by simultaneous injection of zinc sulfate (7.65 µmol Zn/100 g) for 3 days. Administration of zinc also produced appreciable increase in alkaline phosphatase activity and DNA content. The present study indicates that germanium and selenium disturbs bone metabolism in weanling rats, and that this disturbance is reversed by zinc.

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