The inhibitory action of zinc sulphate on the contractile activity of guinea-pig ileum

Influence of weaning and effect of post weaning dietary zinc and copper on electrophysiological response to glucose, theophylline and 5-HT in piglet small intestinal mucosa

This study aimed to examine how weaning and how dietary zinc and/or copper fed post weaning may affect the electrophysiological response to glucose and to chloride secretagogues in piglet small intestine in vitro. Study 1 included 54 piglets (six litters of nine piglets). One piglet from every litter was killed 1 day before weaning. The remaining 48 piglets were allocated at weaning (28 d) to four dietary zinc treatments and subsequently killed 1-2, 5-6 or 14-15 days after weaning. Study 2 included 48 piglets (six litters of eight piglets) allocated to four dietary treatments, consisting of high or low dietary zinc with or without high dietary copper. All piglets in study 2 were killed 5-7 days after weaning. The in vitro studies in Ussing chambers showed that weaning resulted in increased ileal glucose absorption as well as increased neuroendocrine-regulated (activated by 5-HT) and cAMP-dependent (activated by theophylline) chloride secretion. High zinc supplementation reduced the responses to 5-HT and theophylline. The study did not reveal any influence of copper on these parameters. It is concluded that the positive effect of zinc supplementation on diarrhoea in weaned piglets may be due to zinc reducing the intestinal mucosal susceptibility to secretagogues that activate chloride secretion.

Effects of zinc ions on Ca2+ uptake during histamine-induced contraction in guinea-pig taenia coli

The present study was undertaken to clarify the effects of zinc ions (Zn2+) on Ca2+ uptake during histamine-induced contraction in guinea-pig taenia coli. Zn2+ (0.3 mM) had smaller effect on the initial phasic response to 10(-5) M histamine accompanied with decreased Ca uptake at the high affinity sites, while it inhibited the tonic response by inhibiting Ca2+ uptake at the low affinity sites. After the first stimulation with histamine in the presence of Zn2+, the Ca2+ binding at high affinity sites was not significantly recovered in the presence of Zn2+. A second stimulation with histamine in the presence of Zn2+ did not elicit any phasic response. Furthermore, after beta-escin treatment of the fibres, which leaves receptor-coupled signal transduction including the Ca2+ storage sites intact, the contraction due to 10(-5) M histamine was not so affected by 0.3 mM Zn2+, but, after resuspension in a solution of pCa 5, 10(-5) M histamine of second application did not elicit the contraction in the presence of Zn2+. These results suggested that Zn2+ does not affect the histamine-induced Ca2+ release from the intracellular storage sites in taenia coli. However, when Zn2+ is present, Ca2+ is not supplied to the storage sites for the phasic response due to second stimulation with histamine. In addition, Zn2+ reduced the tonic response to histamine mainly by inhibiting Ca2+ influx through receptor-operated and/or voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.

Zinc and intestinal anaphylaxis to cow's milk proteins in malnourished guinea pigs

Zinc supplementation could favor recovery from diarrhea in malnourished children. As the recent experimental evidence suggests that oxidative stress and intestinal anaphylaxis may contribute to the intestinal dysfunction associated with malnutrition, we postulated that zinc could act through antioxidant or antianaphylactic properties. Control (C), malnourished (M), and malnourished zinc-treated (MZ) guinea pigs were, respectively, fed a normal 30% protein diet, a low 4% protein diet, and a low 4% protein diet plus 1800 ppm of zinc. Milk proteins were included in the diets to trigger intestinal anaphylaxis. Milk sensitization was assessed by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) against beta-lactoglobulin and by intestinal anaphylaxis measured in Ussing chambers by the increase in short circuit-current after addition of beta-lactoglobulin (deltaIsc(betaLg)). Oxidative stress was assessed by intestinal lipid peroxidation. The intestinal secretion was assessed by deltaIsc induced by inflammatory mediators. Malnutrition increased the level of anti-betaLg reaginic antibodies [PCA = 1.19 +/- 0.79 and 0.69 +/- 0.67 log(l/titer) in M versus C guinea pigs, p = 0.07] and enhanced intestinal anaphylaxis (deltaIsc(betaLg)) = 16.4 +/- 9.9 and 9.1 +/- 5.8 microA/cm2 in M versus C guinea pigs, p = 0.07), without inducing intestinal lipid peroxidation. Moreover, malnutrition enhanced significantly the intestinal secretory response to histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine. Administration of pharmacologic doses of zinc during malnutrition inhibited the increase in milk sensitization induced by malnutrition, both at the systemic [PCA = 0.35 +/- 0.55 log(l/titer) in MZ guinea pigs, p = 0.03 versus M] and intestinal (deltaIsc(betaLg)) = 2.8 +/- 2.5 microA/cm2 in MZ guinea pigs; p = 0.001 versus M) level, and prevented the hypersecretion in response to histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine. These data suggest that zinc has antianaphylactic and antisecretory properties that may contribute to its capacity to prevent intestinal dysfunction during malnutrition.

Changes in the contractile responses to carbachol and in the inhibitory effects of verapamil and nitrendipine on isolated smooth muscle preparations from rats subchronically exposed to Pb2+ and Zn2+

Male Wistar rats were exposed to Pb2+ or Zn2+ and to Pb2+ + Zn2+, receiving Pb(CH3COO)2 or/and ZnSO4 with drinking water for 30 days. Cumulative concentration-effect curves for carbachol were obtained in ileum and trachea isolated from control and heavy metal-treated rats. The effect of the Ca2+ channel blockers on the carbachol-induced contractions was studied by addition of increasing concentrations of verapamil or nitrendipine to the bath solution 20 min. prior to carbachol. The results showed that exposure of rats to heavy metals in doses which did not change the body weight and behaviour, altered the contractile responses to carbachol. The sensitivity to carbachol was higher in preparations from the ileum of Zn(2+)-exposed rats as compared to controls, while a tendency towards decreasing this sensitivity was observed in ileal preparations from Pb(2+)-treated animals. The concentration-effect curves for carbachol in ileal preparations from Pb2+ + Zn(2+)-treated rats did not differ from those in the preparations from untreated rats. The inhibitory effect of the Ca2+ channel blockers on the contractility of ileal and tracheal preparations from treated rats was weaker as compared to that in controls.

Blockade by zinc ions of K(+)-induced contraction and calcium in guinea pig Taenia coli

Preincubation with 0.3 mM Zn2+ markedly inhibited both the tonic response and Ca2+ binding at low affinity sites induced by K+ (60 mM), with smaller effects on the phasic response and the high affinity Ca2+ sites, in Taenia coli. However, when the muscle was kept in Zn(2+)-containing medium following the first stimulation with the K+, the phasic response and the high affinity Ca2+ sites were more severely inhibited during the second stimulation with K+. This probably indicates that Zn2+ reduced the tonic tension response to K+ mainly by inhibiting Ca2+ influx at the cell membranes of Taenia coli. However, when Zn2+ is continuously present, Ca2+ is not supplied at the storage sites and is not available for the phasic response to a second stimulation with K+.