J Nutr Health.  2021 Dec;54(6):594-602. 10.4163/jnh.2021.54.6.594.

Dietary zinc supplementation in highfat diet-induced obese mice: Effects on the skeletal muscle ZIP7 expression and blood glucose regulation

• Zhu Q
• Chung J

• KMID: 2524209
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2021.54.6.594

Abstract

Purpose
The zinc transporter ZIP7 is known to regulate glucose metabolism in skeletal muscles, and skeletal muscles are known to play a critical role in glycemic control. The present study examines the effects of dietary zinc supplementation on the blood glucose concentration and expression of ZIP7 in skeletal muscle obtained from obese mice fed a highfat diet (HF).
Methods
C57BL/6J male mice were divided into three groups and were administered either a HF (60% of total calories from fat), HF supplemented with zinc (HF+Zn, 60% calories from fat + 300 mg zinc/kg diet), or low-fat diet (CON, 10% calories from fat), for 15 weeks.
Results
Compared to CON group mice, the final body weights and adipose tissue weights were significantly increased, while the skeletal muscle weights were significantly decreased in mice belonging to the HF and HF+Zn groups. The HF+Zn group had significantly lower levels of fasting blood glucose concentrations than the HF group. Similarly, zinc supplementation significantly decreased the HF-elevated area under the curve values obtained from the oral glucose tolerance test. Skeletal muscle protein levels of ZIP7 in samples obtained from the HF group were significantly decreased as compared to the CON group. Conversely, the skeletal ZIP7 protein levels in the HF+Zn group were significantly increased as compared to the HF group. Moreover, the protein levels of phosphorylated-AKT and glucose transporter 4 in the skeletal muscle were significantly increased subsequent to zinc supplementation.
Conclusion
Our data demonstrates that zinc supplementation up-regulates the skeletal muscle ZIP7 expression, which is associated with improved glucose tolerance in the obesity.

Keyword

zinc transporter; skeletal muscle; obesity; mice