Effects of maternal mild zinc deficiency and different ways of zinc supplementation for offspring on learning and memory

Abstract

BackgroundThe effect of different ways of zinc supplementation on spatial learning and memory remains unclear.ObjectivesThis study aims to assess the effectiveness of two ways of zinc supplementation – oral use and intravenous transfusion – in zinc-deficient offspring rats on learning and memory.DesignRats were randomly divided into six groups on the first day of pregnancy (n=12): control (CO), pair fed (PF), zinc deprived (ZD), oral zinc supplementation (OZS), injection zinc supplementation (IZS), and injection control. The offspring's spatial learning and memory were tested at postnatal day 35 using Morris water maze (MWM). Maternal rats’ serum zinc was measured at postnatal day 21, while pups’ serum zinc was measured at postnatal day 35.ResultsCompared with the CO and PF groups, pups in ZD group spent more time finding the latent platform and swam longer distances (p<0.05). Compared with ZD groups, pups in OZS group significantly decreased the time used for finding the platform and the swimming distance (p<0.05) and were similar to that of CO and PF groups (p>0.05). However, compared with ZD groups, pups in IZS did not show any improvement in the indexes of MWM (p>0.05) although their zinc serum concentration increased significantly (p<0.05).ConclusionsThese results indicate that mild zinc deficiency during pregnancy and lactation leads to the impairment of learning and memory function in offspring, and that OZS, instead of intravenous transfusion zinc supplementation, can recover the impairment of spatial learning and memory function.

Invivo Study of Aqueous Extract of Snake Fruit Seeds in Female Rats With Anemia

“…The zinc content influences the increase in BL of female rats with anemia model in AES. Zinc is related to growth; previous research has shown that zinc deficiency (550 mg/kg) can affect the body length of puppies in pregnant female dogs for 2135 days (Yu et al 2016). In this study, AES contained 10.3 mg of zinc, which can meet the daily zinc requirement of 8-9 mg/day for adolescents (Indonesian Ministry of Health 2019).…”

Marginal Zinc Deficiency during Gestation and Lactation in Rats Affects Oligodendrogenesis, Motor Performance, and Behavior in the Offspring

“…In contrast, maternal mild/marginal zinc deficiency does not cause major birth defects in rodents but affects neuroprogenitor cell proliferation, neurogenesis, and astrogliogenesis [16][17][18], and causes behavioral alterations [6]. Maternal marginal zinc deficiency is associated with deficits in learning and memory [37], impaired social interaction, increase emotionality including anxiety and depression, and aggressiveness [38,39], and decreased locomotor function [40] in the offspring. In addition, lower serum zinc levels have been reported in children suffering from neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorders [7], Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [8], mood disorders (depression, anxiety, and aggressiveness) [41], schizophrenia [42,43], and altered cognitive and motor function [44].…”

Effects of Maternal Prenatal Multi-Micronutrient Supplementation on Growth and Development until 3 Years of Age

“…WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recommend a daily iodine supplement of 250 µg for pregnant women [5]. Recently, an animal experiment indicated that mild zinc deficiency during pregnancy led to the impairment of spatial learning and memory function in offspring [6]. Maternal vitamin A supplementation enhanced natural antibody concentrations of preadolescent children [7].…”