Genesis of Esophageal Parakeratosis and Histologic Changes in the Testes of the Zinc-deficient Rat and Their Reversal by Zinc Repletion

Testicular apoptosis after dietary zinc deficiency: Ultrastructural and TUNEL studies

“…The final stages of spermatid differentiation, which include cytoplasmic modeling and the formation of the residual body [Russell 1979], were adversely affected by zinc-deprivation. Barney et al [1968] also reported that the transformation of spermatids into spermatozoa is inhibited in zinc deficient rats. Dramatic biochemical and ultrastructural changes in nuclei occur as mammalian spermatids develop into spermatozoa.…”

Zinc requirements and the risks and benefits of zinc supplementation

“…However, what should be of great concern is that studies in rats found that zinc deficiency causes precancerous esophageal epithelial hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, acanthosis and hyperplasia of basal cells [126][127][128]. Zinc deficiency also facilitates induction of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-induced esophageal cancers [129] that were prevented by zinc administration.…”

Zinc metabolism in animals: Pathology, immunology and genetics

“…Reproduction is also affected by Zn deficiency. In the male, lack of Zn results in progressive testicular atrophy associated with an initial failure of spermatogenesis (Miller and Miller, 1962;Barney et al, 1969). The female rat does not conceive when Zn-deficient but if Zn deficiency is induced immediately following conception, a high incidence of fetal abnormalities results (Hurley and Shrader, 1972 The above features of Zn deficiency contain a consistent theme of impaired cell differentiation as evidenced by the persistence of nuclei in parakeratotic skin, elevated numbers of dividing cells in the oesophagus, failure of T cell maturation, impaired spermatogenesis and a high incidence of fetal abnormalities.…”