Table 1.

Plasma biochemical markers and hormones

Groups (n)	Control diet (10)	Low-zinc diet (10)
Total protein (g/dL)	5.55 ± 0.23	4.39 ± 0.14**
Albumin (g/dL)	3.98 ± 0.20	3.23 ± 0.10**
Glucose (mg/dL)	166 ± 13	169 ± 17
Total cholesterol (mg/dL)	65.5 ± 1.8	53.3 ± 4.8*
Phospholipid (mg/dL)	136 ± 5	106 ± 7**
Free fatty acid (mEQ/L)	735 ± 163	409 ± 31
Triglyceride (mg/dL)	57.3 ± 25.3	28.5 ± 4.7
Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL)	11.9 ± 0.8	12.7 ± 0.7
Creatinine (mg/dL)	0.17 ± 0.01	0.17 ± 0.02
AST (GOT) (IU/L)	147 ± 19	204 ± 30
Lactate dehydrogenase (IU/L)	571 ± 188	263 ± 63
Alkaline phosphatase (IU/L)	883 ± 40	497 ± 62**
Sodium (Na) (mEQ/L)	139 ± 2	142 ± 1
Chlorine (Cl) (mEQ/L)	99.6 ± 1.9	100.5 ± 1.9
Potassium (K) (mEQ/L)	4.74 ± 0.30	3.97 ± 0.20
Calcium (Ca) (mg/dL)	9.51 ± 0.26	9.12 ± 0.30
inorg. Phosphorus (iP) (mg/dL)	4.50 ± 0.36	3.82 ± 0.25
Zinc (Zn) (mg/dL)	107.2 ± 0.8	61.8 ± 4.2**
Growth hormone (ng/mL)	7.66 ± 1.96	6.57 ± 0.90
Luteinizing hormone (ng/mL)	3.07 ± 0.55	1.37 ± 0.14**
Testosterone (ng/mL)	1.26 ± 0.16	0.31 ± 0.07**
Corticosterone (ng/mL)	427 ± 48	418 ± 43

Data are means ± SEM.

** and *Significantly different from that of the Control; p < 0.01 and 0.05, respectively.