Zinc treatment affects superoxide dismutase activity in growth retardation

• Published in: Biological trace element research Vol. 90; no. 1-3; pp. 39 - 46
• Main Authors: Kocatürk, Pelin Aribal, Siklar, Zeynep, Kavas, Güzin Ozelçi, Dallar, Yildiz, Tanyer, Gülten
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer Nature B.V 01.12.2002
• Subjects: Age; Child; Children; Copper; Copper - blood; Enzymes; Erythrocytes - chemistry; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Erythrocytes - enzymology; Female; Growth - drug effects; Growth - physiology; Growth rate; Humans; Male; Statistical analysis; Statistics; Superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - blood; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Zinc; Zinc - blood; Zinc - deficiency; Zinc - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0163-4984; 1559-0720; 0163-4984
• DOI: 10.1385/bter:90:1-3:39

Children with growth dysfunction present complex diagnostic challenges. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of oral zinc treatment on red cell copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) activity and copper and zinc concentrations in children with "growth retardation." Twenty-nine patients, average age of 11 yr, whose percentile was under 3% of the National Center of Health Statistics parameters were selected. For the control group, 10 children whose average age was 10 yr were included. Red cell Cu/Zn-SOD activity was determined by spectrophotometer. Red cell copper and zinc concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Red cell Cu/Zn-SOD activity was higher than the control group before zinc treatment (p<0.001). There was a decrease in the Cu/Zn-SOD activity after zinc treatment, but the mean value of the Cu/Zn-SOD activity of patients was still higher than the control values (p<0.001). After zinc treatment, there was an increase in red cell zinc concentration (p<0.01) and a decrease in copper concentration (p<0.001), which were statistically significant. The results of this study suggested that Cu/Zn-SOD activity was increased significantly during growth retardation and zinc treatment appeared to ameliorate the enzyme activity. There were also insignificant alterations in red cell copper and zinc concentrations.