Abstract
Summary and Conclusions
Behavioral measures were obtained for rats administered a zinc deficient diet, (8.0 mg/kg) and adequate in all other constituents, for 48 days beginning at 30 days of age. Pair-fed controls received a zinc-supplemented diet (70 mg/kg of total zinc). Lethargy and reduced weight gain were characteristic of all zinc-deficient subjects. Performance on two measures of learning ability (viz., a one-way conditioned avoidance test and an eight-blind water maze) and an test of activity-emotionality (viz., the open-field test) revealed zinc-deficient animals to be inferior when compared to zinc-supplemented subjects. The relationship between zinc and protein utilization was posited as a possible mechanism explaining the effects of zinc insufficiency.
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