Effects of Dietary Zinc Deficiency and Supplementation on Prepubertal Rat Testes: Sulfhydryl and Antioxidant Status

The study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary zinc deficiency and supplementation on antioxidant system viz. superoxide-dismutase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione- S-transferase, catalase and sulfhydryls levels (GSH, TSH, NPSH and PBSH) in testes of Wistar rats. Pre-pubertal rats were divided into two groups with 6 sub-groups each viz. zinc control (ZC), pair fed (PF), zinc deficient (ZD), zinc control supplementation (ZCS), pair-fed supplementation (PFS) and zinc deficient supplementation (ZDS). Experiments were set for 2- and 4-weeks followed by 4 weeks of zinc supplementation. The zinc deficient group animals exhibited significant decrease in gonado-somatic index (2- and 4- weeks), sulfhydryls levels, GSH, GPx, GR (2 and 4-weeks) and GST concentration (2-weeks). However, after zinc supplementation significant improvement in gonadosomatic index, SH, GSH, antioxidant enzyme levels (GR, GPx, and GST) in deficient groups has been observed. Zinc deficiency during pre-pubertal period affected growth and caused dysregulation of the glutathione antioxidant system. The significant alterations in the levels of antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymatic antioxidant system (GSH and SH) in zinc deficient groups could be due to alleviated generation of free radicals, causative factor for increased oxidative stress which may lead to infertility as oxidative stress is a common pathology seen during infertility. Altered antioxidant system and sulfhydryls levels in testes due to dietary zinc deficiency reflect the significance of optimum zinc for maintaining homeostatic balance in gonadal physiology. Supplementing zinc for 4 weeks could reduce the redox imbalance which may help in alleviating oxidative stress induced alterations in testes.