Relative and combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on zinc, iron, copper, and manganese contents in different organs and urinary and fecal excretion.

The relative contribution of protein deficiency to the altered metabolism of certain trace elements in chronic alcoholics is not well defined, so this study was performed to analyse the relative and combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on liver, bone, muscle, and blood cell content of copper, zinc, iron, and manganese, and also on serum levels and urinary and fecal excretion of these elements in four groups of eight animals each that were pair-fed during 8 weeks with a nutritionally adequate diet, a 36% (as energy) ethanol-containing isocaloric diet, a 2% protein isocaloric diet, and a 36% ethanol 2% protein isocaloric diet, respectively, following the Lieber-DeCarli model. Five additional rats were fed ad lib the control diet. Protein malnutrition, but not ethanol, leads to liver zinc depletion. Both ethanol and protein malnutrition cause muscle zinc depletion and increase urinary zinc and manganese excretion, whereas ethanol also increases urinary iron excretion and liver manganese content. No differences were observed regarding copper metabolism.