Does the Protective Effect of Zinc on Telomere Length Depend on the Presence of Hypertension or Type 2 Diabetes? Results from the Iwaki Health Promotion Project, Japan

Abstract

Telomeres, repeated TTAGGG sequences at chromosomal ends, shorten with age and indicate cellular lifespan. Zinc can protect against telomere damage through its anti-oxidative effect. Meanwhile, telomere shortening was correlated with metabolic diseases of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the association between zinc and telomere length differs by the presence or absence of hypertension/type 2 diabetes. This is a cross-sectional study with 1064 participants of the Iwaki area, Japan. Multiple linear regression models were performed to test the hypothesis. A higher serum zinc concentration was significantly associated with a longer G-tail length (β = 48.11, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 25.69, 70.54, p < 0.001). By multivariate linear regression analysis, there was a significant positive association between zinc and G-tail length in both hypertensive (β = 46.84, 95%CI: 9.69, 84.0, p = 0.014) and non-hypertensive groups (β = 49.47, 95%CI: 20.75, 78.18, p = 0.001), while the association was significant only in the non-diabetes group (β = 50.82, 95%CI: 27.54, 74.11, p < 0.001). In conclusion, higher zinc concentration was significantly associated with longer G-tail length. The protective effect of zinc on G-tail did not differ by hypertension status; however, it disappeared in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Zinc supplementation alleviates oxidative stress to inhibit chronic gastritis via the ROS/NF-κB pathway in a mouse model

“…46 Zinc supplementation reduces the production of proinflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6; inhibits oxidative stress; and increases the expression of the anti-inflammatory protein A20 in human monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cells and human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). 47 Our experimental results showed that oxidative stress induced by sodium salicylate greatly increased the level of ROS in the gastric mucosa and activated the NF-κB signaling pathway, leading to the production of many inflammatory factors and intensifying inflammation. Zinc supplementation inhibits oxidative stress, regulates the NF-κB signaling pathway, reduces ROS levels, and inhibits the release of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, thus alleviating inflammation.…”