Zinc and the liver: an active interaction.

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Dig Dis Sci. 2007 Jul

Zinc and the liver: an active interaction.

Stamoulis I, Kouraklis G, Theocharis S.

Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Athens, Greece.

Zinc is an essential trace element, exerting important

antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. It affects

growth and development and participates in processes such as aging and

cancer induction. The liver is important for the regulation of zinc

homeostasis, while zinc is necessary for proper liver function.

Decreased zinc levels have been implicated in both acute and chronic

liver disease states, and zinc deficiency has been implicated in the

pathogenesis of liver diseases. Zinc supplementation offers protection

in experimental animal models of acute and chronic liver injury, but

these hepatoprotective properties have not been fully elucidated. In

the present review, data on zinc homeostasis, its implication in the

pathogenesis of liver diseases, and its effect on acute and chronic

liver diseases are presented. It is concluded that zinc could protect

against liver diseases, although up to now the underlying

pathophysiology of zinc and liver interactions have not been defined.

PMID: 17415640 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Guest guest]

I had my son taking those zinc lozenges every time he thought he was getting a cold so he had a lot of them all through high school and the first years of college.After he was diagnosed with UC/PSC I was afraid they might be part of the problem so I wouldn't let him take them any more.Now zinc might be good? Maybe at the start of his next cold , I should let him take them again.LeeDig Dis Sci. 2007 JulZinc and the liver: an active interaction.Stamoulis I, Kouraklis G, Theocharis S.Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Athens, Greece.Zinc is an essential trace element, exerting important antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. It affects growth and development and participates in processes such as aging and cancer induction. The liver is important for the regulation of zinc homeostasis, while zinc is necessary for proper liver function. Decreased zinc levels have been implicated in both acute and chronic liver disease states, and zinc deficiency has been implicated in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. Zinc supplementation offers protection in experimental animal models of acute and chronic liver injury, but these hepatoprotective properties have not been fully elucidated. In the present review, data on zinc homeostasis, its implication in the pathogenesis of liver diseases, and its effect on acute and chronic liver diseases are presented. It is concluded that zinc could protect against liver diseases, although up to now the underlying pathophysiology of zinc and liver interactions have not been defined.