Table 1.
Zinc serum levels and jejunal morphometrics in experimental rats challenged by lactose-induced diarrhea and the regional northeast basic diet with their respective controls
| |
Nourished |
Undernourished |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcomes biochemisty | PBS | PBS | P | Zn | P (Zn vs PBS) | Lac | Zn + lac | P (Zn + Lac vs Lac) |
| Zinc serum levels (mg/L) (n) |
1.089 ± 0.08 (n = 11) |
0.712 ± 0.10 (n = 10) |
< 0.0001 |
1.57 ± 0.12 (n = 8) |
< 0.0001 |
1.12 ± 0.24 (n = 12) |
2.04 ± 0.50 (n = 8) |
< 0.0001 |
|
Jejunal morphology* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Villus height (μm) |
826.3 ± 92.2 |
587.9 ± 98.3 |
< 0.0001 |
704.2 ± 113.9 |
0.001 |
686 ± 103.2 |
667.9 ± 78.2 |
0.359 |
| Crypt length (μm) |
151.5 ± 36.5 |
187.7 ± 66.7 |
< 0.0001 |
169.8 ± 49.0 |
0.007 |
141.6 ± 27.7 |
127.2 ± 20.3 |
< 0.0001 |
| Villus/crypt ratio | 6.03 ± 1.7 | 3.7 ± 1.4 | < 0.0001 | 5.15 ± 2.82 | 0.0322 | 5.1 ± 0.8 | 5.4 ± 1.19 | 0.235 |
*At least 40 sections of jejunal villi and crypts stained with hematoxylin and eosin in at least four animals per group. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Comparisons were performed by Student’s unpaired t test. Villi and crypts were measured only when their full longitudinal axis was found.
Zn = zinc treated-rats; Lac = lactose challenged-rats.