The effect of zinc and magnesium on calcium uptake into the rat duodenum slices

Summary The experiments were carried out on 80 male Wistar rats, divided into four groups as follows: group 1, treated orally with ZnCl₂ at a dose of 10 mg Zn²⁺/kg for 14 days; group 2, control; group 3, MgCl₂-treated at a dose of 5 mg Mg²⁺/kg; group 4, treated with ZnCl₂ plus MgCl₂ in the same manner as groups 1 and 3. The influx of calcium into the rat duodenum slices was investigated in vitro by the method of Papworth and Patrick. Over a range of calcium concentrations (0–10 mM) the influx of this element was defined as a sum of a saturable term (active transport) and a linear term dependent on concentration (passive transport). In the zinc-treated rats only the saturable term was affected. The study of this term by Lineweaver-Burk plots showed a decrease of the half-saturation constant,K_t, while the maximal value,J_m, remained unchanged. Moreover, magnesium was shown to interact with zinc at gut level because simultaneous oral administration of Mg²⁺ and Zn²⁺ to rats protected them against the inhibition of calcium uptake observed when Zn²⁺ was given alone.