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Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 741-745 PubMed PMID: 25702304 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Case-Control Studies, Depressive Disorder, Major:blood, Humans, Male, Severity of Illness Index, Time Factors, Young Adult, Zinc:blood,.   

OBJECTIVE: In major depressive disorder (MDD) hypozincaemia associated with symptoms severity, melancholia, anxiety and treatment-resistance is reported. Data linking zinc with specific psychopathological dimensions is limited.

METHODS: Plasma zinc was analyzed in this cross-sectional case-control study on 20 non-late-life adult, treatment-naïve MDD patients with short-illness-duration first affective episode and 20 matched healthy controls together with psychometric evaluations including Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

RESULTS: No significant difference in zinc levels was found between MDD subjects and controls. No significant correlations were observed between zinc concentration and the total HAMD-17 score as well as with the specific core depression, insomnia, anxiety and somatic psychopathological dimensions or STAIX-1 and STAIX-2 scores.

CONCLUSION: The study provides evidence for unchanged plasma zinc concentration at early stage of MDD and failed to demonstrate any correlation between plasma zinc and psychopathological features including severity of symptoms and specific psychopathological dimensions in MDD....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(5): 675-680 PubMed PMID: 17984945 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Copper:blood, Exercise:physiology, Humans, Male, Oxygen Consumption:physiology, Physical Exertion:physiology, Reference Values, Statistics, Nonparametric, Zinc:blood,.   

: This study was carried out in order to determine the effect of acute maximal aerobic exercise on the copper and zinc levels in blood. The study was participated by 16 healthy male university students with an average age of 19.44+/-1.63. There were 5 cc blood samples taken from the participants before and after they had been subjected to aerobic loading process (20 m shuttle run). The copper and zinc levels in the blood samples were determined by the use of Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV) technique. The data obtained were evaluated by simple t test and SPSS software. The results revealed the fact that the blood Zn levels of the participants increased and Cu levels decreased with statistical significant extent (p<0.01) after maximal aerobic loading. There found no correlation between the maximal aerobic power levels (Max VO2) of the participants and their resting copper and zinc blood levels. However blood zinc and Max VO2 levels of the participants were positively correlated after maximal aerobic loading. The participants were fed on a zinc and copper free diet six week prior to the program. They were also asked not to use copper and zinc containing vitamins during this period....

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Clinical Trial 2006; 27(6): 822-827 PubMed PMID: 16892007 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Copper:blood, Exercise:physiology, Humans, Male, Oxygen Consumption:physiology, Reference Values, Running:physiology, Zinc:blood,.   

: This study was carried out to investigate the effects of 6-week aerobic exercise program upon blood Zn and Cu levels. There were 12 male university students with an average age of 21.67+/-0.89 years and no regular training habits participated in the study. The participants were subjected three days a week 1 hour a day continuous running program on treadmill with an intensity of 60-70% for a period of six weeks. They were fed with zinc and copper free diet throughout the study and it was made sure that they were not using copper or zinc containing vitamin tablets. The difference between the pre and post study period were found to be statistically significant as regards to both resting and maximal loading conditions (p<0.01). The pre and post training maxVO2 values were also found to be positively correlated with the copper and zinc levels in blood. Both the copper and zinc blood levels were found decreased after the training period p<0.05....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 263-266 PubMed PMID: 16648794 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Injections, Intraperitoneal, Lactic Acid:blood, Male, Melatonin:pharmacology, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Swimming:psychology, Zinc:blood,.   

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study is to examine the effect on melatonin supplementation on plasma lactate levels and its relation with zinc in rats subjected to acute swimming exercise.

METHODS: Thirty adult male rats of Spraque-Dawley species were allocated to 3 groups, each containing an equal number of rats: general control group which was not subjected to any procedure (Group 1), the group which was subjected to 30 minutes acute swimming exercise (Group 2), and the group which was subjected to 30 minutes acute swimming exercise after 4-week intraperitoneal (i.p.) melatonin (3 mg/kg/day) supplementation. Lactate and zinc levels in the plasma were studied in the blood samples taken from the experimental animals by decapitation method.

RESULTS: The animals in the control group, which was not subjected to any procedure (group 1), had higher lactate levels than those in groups 2 and 3 (p<0,05). Lactate levels in the swimming group supplemented with melatonin (group 3) were lower than those in group 2 (swimming group) (p<0,05). The highest plasma zinc levels were obtained in the melatonin-supplemented swimming group (group 3) (p<0,05). Group 2 (swimming control) had the lowest plasma zinc levels (p<0,05).

CONCLUSION: Results of the study demonstrate that melatonin supplementation to rats subjected to acute swimming exercise reduces lactate levels, thereby delaying exhaustion. Increased zinc levels may be mediating this melatonin effect....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 267-270 PubMed PMID: 16648790 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Dietary Supplements, Injections, Intraperitoneal, Lactic Acid:blood, Male, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Swimming:physiology, Testosterone:blood, Zinc:blood,.   

OBJECTIVE: There is fairly scarce information about the effects of zinc, an essential trace element, on performance. Studies concerned with the relation between zinc and exercise mostly concentrate on the distribution of this element in the body in response to exercise. The objective of the present study is to explore how zinc supplementation affects testosterone levels and its relation with lactate in rats subjected to acute swimming exercise.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty adult male rats of Sprague-Dawley species were equally allocated to 3 groups. Group 1: Control. Group 2: Group subjected to 30-minute acute swimming exercise. Group 3: Group supplemented with intraperitoneal (i.p.) zinc (3 mg/kg day) for 4 weeks and subjected to 30-minute swimming exercise. Blood samples collected from all experimental animals by decapitation method were analyzed to determine free and total testosterone and lactate levels in the plasma.

RESULTS: Group 3 had the highest free and total testosterone levels, followed by Group 1 and Group 2. The highest lactate levels were found in Group 2 and the levels in Group 3 were higher than those in Group 1.

CONCLUSION: Results of the study demonstrate that zinc supplementation leads to a significant increase in testosterone levels and a significant decrease in lactate levels. In conclusion, physiological doses of zinc supplementation can be useful for performance....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 548-554 PubMed PMID: 16264402 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Body Weight:drug effects, Follicle Stimulating Hormone:blood, Leptin:blood, Luteinizing Hormone:blood, Male, Orchiectomy, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Testosterone:blood, Zinc:blood,.   

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate how zinc-deficiency and testosterone supplementation, both in combination and individually, affect plasma LH, FSH and leptin levels in castrated rats.

DESIGN: Group 1, Control Group. Group 2, Castration Group. Group 3, Testosterone Group. Group 4, Zinc-deficient Group. Group 5, Testosterone, Zinc-deficient Group. Group 6, Zinc-deficient, Castration Group. Group 7, Testosterone, Castration Group. Group 8, Zinc-deficient, Testosterone, Castration Group.

MEASUREMENTS: Plasma zinc, leptin, LH, FSH, free and total testosterone levels were measured.

RESULTS: Group 2 had the highest levels of leptin and LH, besides having the highest FSH levels together with Group 6 (p<0.01). Groups 5 and 8 had the lowest leptin levels (p<0.01). Leptin levels in Groups 4 and 7 were higher than those in Groups 5 and 8, but lower than those in all other groups (p<0.01). LH levels in Group 4 were not different than those in Groups 3, 5 and 8, but significantly lower than those in all other groups (p<0.01). Free and total testosterone levels were higher in Group 4 than in castration groups that were not supplemented testosterone, but were lower in the former than in all others (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: Plasma LH may be more effective than testosterone on plasma leptin and zinc can be an important mediator of the effect LH exercises on leptin....

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