Excretion and distribution of injected radiozinc in rats as influenced by the type of carbohydrate.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different dietary sugars on Zn status by measuring the excretion and body distribution of intramuscularly injected zinc-65 in growing rats. Thirty-two weanling rats (39.4 +/- 2.7 g) were allotted to six diets in which starch (56%) was partially substituted for glucose (15%), fructose (15%), sucrose (30%), galactose (15%) or lactose (30%). Diets uniformly supplied 22 mg/kg (dry matter) of Zn. Three days after the start of the dietary regimen each rat was injected with 40 micrograms Zn, labelled with 380 kBq 65Zn, in saline solution. Feces and urine were collected for 15 days; thereafter 65Zn distribution in the liver, pancreas, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and residual carcass was assessed. Fecal 65Zn excretion was not significantly influenced by the diets, although the gastrointestinal tract of the galactose- and lactose-fed animals contained more 65Zn than did those fed the other diets. 65Zn in the urine and kidneys of the galactose-fed rats was markedly increased as compared with the other groups. Dietary carbohydrate source did not materially affect concentrations of stable zinc in the liver, kidneys, pancreas and residual carcass.