Abstract
We have shown that children with constitutional growth delay (CGD) have reduced zinc concentration (Zn C) in hair (160.6 ± 31.0 ug/g) and that oral testosterone (T) administration resulted in raising the Zn C (189.2 ± 10.4 ug/g). Furthermore, a linear relationship between serum T and hair Zn C (r=0.65) was found. Zn supplementation to children with low hair Zn C produced a marked improvement in their growth hormone (HGH) responses to standard stimuli and in their rates of growth, suggesting an influence of Zn in HGH synthesis or release. To further understand these relationships between Zn and hormones we have measured hair Zn C and urinary zinc excretion (U Zn E) in 30 children with HGH deficiency (HGH-D) before and after HGH administration (0.1 u/kg) three times a week × 3 months) and in 26 children with juvenile diabetes mellitus (JDM). Children with HGH-D and JDM had a significant lower hair Zn C (HGH-D: 147±32, JDM: 141±31 ug/g) than age-matched control children (185±23 ug/g). Following HGH administration to HGH-D children there was an increase in the hair Zn C (168.7±36.1 ug/g) with concomitant decrease in the U Zn E (514±170 ug/g creat. before, and 353±162 ug/g creat. after). U Zn E in children with JDM (1449±550 ug/g creat.) was markedly increased in spite of the lower hair Zn C. These results suggest that the anabolic hormone status (HGH, insulin, testosterone) is directly related to the zinc nutritional status.
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Chen, S., Platon, J., Collip, P. et al. 426 HORMONES AND ZINC. Mariano Castro-Magana. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 511 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00437
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00437