The effect of zinc deficiency on glucose metabolism in meal-fed rats.

The incorporation of uniformly-labelled [14C]glucose into fatty acids and glycogen of adipose tissue and liver was used to assess the effects of zinc deficiency on glucose metabolism in meal-fed rats. Throughout the study, identical feeding regimens were maintained between each of the Zn-deficient groups and their appropriate controls. The feeding regimens were either meal-feeding or ad lib. feeding. Zn deficiency reduced [14C]glucose incorporation into fatty acids of epididymal fat pads of meal-fed rats by 75% when compared with meal-fed controls. Zn deficiency caused a slight but significant decrease in [14C]glucose incorporation into liver fatty acids of meal-fed fats when compared with meal-fed controls. Zn deficiency significantly increased [14C]glucose incorporation into liver glycogen of meal-fed rats in Expt. 2 but not in Expt 1. Some effects of Zn deficiency on glucose metabolism were shown to be independent of the feeding regimen when a single daily meal was given to both Zn deficient and control groups. This method of feeding may be a useful approach to study the effects of Zn on glucose metabolism in the rat.