Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparison of Tissue Metal Concentrations in Zucker Lean, Zucker Obese, and Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats and the Effects of Chromium Supplementation on Tissue Metal Concentrations

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Diabetes results in several metabolic changes, including alterations in the transport, distribution, excretion, and accumulation of metals. While changes have been examined in several rat models of insulin resistance and diabetes, the metal ion concentrations in the tissues of Zucker lean, Zucker obese (an insulin resistance and early stage diabetes model), and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF, a type 2 diabetes model) have not previously been examined in detail. The concentration of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg, and Ca were examined in the liver, kidney, heart and spleen, and Cr concentration in the liver and kidney of these rats were examined. Zucker obese rats have a reduction in the concentration of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg in the liver compared to ZDF and/or lean Zucker rats, presumably as a result of the increased fat content of the liver of the obese rats. ZDF rats have increased concentrations of kidney Cu compared to the lean rats, while kidney Ca concentrations are increased in the Zucker obese rats. Spleen Fe concentrations are decreased in Zucker obese rats compared to the lean rats. No effects on metal concentrations in the heart were observed between the lean, obese, and ZDF rats, and no effects on Cr concentrations were identified. Cr(III) complexes have previously been shown to have beneficial effects on the signs of insulin resistance in Zucker obese and ZDF rats. The effects of daily gavage administration of chromium picolinate ([Cr(pic)3]) (1 mg Cr/kg body mass), CrCl3 (1 mg Cr/kg body mass), and Cr3 ([Cr3O(propionate)6(H2O)3]+) (33 μg and 1 mg Cr/kg body mass) on metal concentrations in these tissues were examined. Treatment with CrCl3 and Cr3, but not [Cr(pic)3], at 1 mg Cr/kg resulted in a statistically significant accumulation of Cr in the kidney of lean and obese but not ZDF rats but resulted in lowering the elevated levels of kidney Cu in ZDF rats, suggesting a beneficial effect on this symptom of type 2 diabetes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Krol E, Krejpcio Z (2010) Chromium(III) propionate complex supplementation improves carbohydrate metabolism in insulin-resistant rat model. Food Chem Toxicol 48:2791–2796

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Krol E, Krejpcio Z, Michalak S, Wojciak RW, Bogdanski P (2012) Effects of combined dietary chromium(III) propionate complex and thiamine supplementation on insulin sensitivity, blood biochemical indices, and mineral levels in high-fructose-fed rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 150(1–3):350–359

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ozcelik D, Tuncdemir M, Ozburk M, Uzun H (2011) Evaluation of trace elements and oxidative stress levels in the liver and kidney of streptozotocin-induced experimental diabetic rat model. Gen Physiol Biophys 30:356–363

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Krol E, Krejpcio Z (2011) Evaluation of anti-diabetic potential of chromium(III) propionate complex in high-fat fed and STZ injected rats. Food Chem Toxicol 49:3217–3223

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Dogukan A, Sahin N, Tuzcu M, Juturu V, Orhan C, Onderci M, Komorowski J, Sahin K (2009) The effects of chromium histidinate on mineral status of serum and tissue in fat-fed and streptozotocin-treated type II diabetic rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 131:124–132

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Etgen GJ, Oldham BA (2000) Profiling of Zucker diabetic fatty rats in their progression to the overt diabetic state. Metabolism 49:684–688

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Fernandez-Lopez JA, Esteve M, Rafecas I, Remesar X, Alemany M (1994) Management of dietary essential metals (iron, copper, zinc, chromium and manganese) by Wistar and Zucker obese rats fed a self-selected high-energy diet. Biometals 7:117–129

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Serfass RE, Park KE, Kaplan ML (1988) Developmental changes of selected minerals in Zucker rats. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 189:229–239

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Donaldson DL, Smith CC, Koh E (1987) Effects of obesity and diabetes on tissue zinc and copper concentrations in the Zucker rat. Nutr Res 7:393–399

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Di Bona KR, Love S, Rhodes NR, McAdory D, Sinha SH, Kern N, Kent J, Strickland J, Wilson A, Beaird RJ, Rasco JF, Vincent JB (2011) Chromium is not an essential trace element for mammals: effects of a “low-chromium” diet. J Biol Inorg Chem 16:381–390

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Nielsen FH (2007) Summary: the clinical and nutritional importance of chromium—still debated after 50 years of research. In: Vincent JB (ed) The nutritional biochemistry of chromium(III). Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 265–276

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  12. Vincent JB (2010) Celebrating 50 years as an essential element? Dalton Trans 39:3787–3794

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Vincent JB (2013) The bioinorganic chemistry of chromium(III). Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  14. Clodfelder BJ, Gullick BM, Lukaski HC, Neggers Y, Vincent JB (2005) Oral administration of the biomimetic [Cr3O(O2CCH2CH3)6(H2O)3]+ increases insulin sensitivity and improves blood plasma variables in healthy and type 2 diabetic rats. J Biol Inorg Chem 10:119–130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Vincent JB, Love S (2012) The binding and transport of alternative metals by transferrin. Biochim Biophys Acta 1820:361–378

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Press R, Gellar J, Evans G (1990) The effects of chromium picolinate on serum cholesterol and apolipoprotein fractions in human subjects. West J Med 152:41–45

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Earnshaw A, Figgis BN, Lewis J (1966) Chemistry of polynuclear compounds. Part IV. Magnetic properties of trimeric chromium and iron compounds. J Chem Soc A: 1656–1663.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kandor KV (1999) Insulin regulation of protein traffic in rat adipose cells. J Biol Chem 274:25210–25217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Mertz W, Roginski EE, Reba RC (1965) Biological activity and fate of trace quantities of intravenous chromium(III) in the rat. Am J Physiol 209:489–494

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Onkelinx C (1977) Comparative analysis of metabolism of chromium(III) in rats of various ages. Am J Physiol 232:E478–E484

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lim TH, Sargent T III, Kusubov N (1983) Kinetics of trace element chromium(III) in the human body. Am J Physiol 244:R445–R454

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Sun Y, Clodfelder BJ, Shute AA, Irwin T, Vincent JB (2002) The biomimetic [Cr3O(O2CCH2CH3)6(H2O)3]+ decreases plasma insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides in healthy and type II diabetic rats but not type I diabetic rats. J Inorg Biochem 7:852–862

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Zemel MB, Sowers JR, Shehin S, Walsh MF, Levy J (1990) Impaired calcium metabolism associated with hypertension in Zucker obese rats. Metabolism 39:704–708

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Levina A, Lay PA (2005) Mechanistic studies of relevance to the biological activities of chromium. Coord Chem Rev 249:281–298

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Vincent JB (2012) Beneficial effects of chromium and vanadium supplements in diabetes. In: Bagchi D, Nair S (eds) Nutritional and therapeutic intervention of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 381–391

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  26. Goldfine AB, Patti ME, Zuberi L, Goldstein BJ, LeBlanc R, Landaker EJ, Jiang ZY, Willsky GR, Kahn CR (2000) Metabolic effects of vanadyl sulfate in humans with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus: in vivo and in vitro studies. Metabolism 49:400–410

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Anderson RA, Bryden NA, Polansky MM (1997) Lack of toxicity of chromium chloride and chromium picolinate in rats. J Am Coll Nutr 16:273–279

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Olin KL, Stearns DM, Armstrong WH, Keen CL (1994) Comparative retention/absorption of 51chromium (51Cr) from 51Cr chloride, 51Cr nicotinate and 51Cr picolinate in a rat model. Trace Elem Electrolytes 11:182–186

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Anderson RA, Bryden NA, Polansky MM, Gautschi K (1996) Dietary chromium effects on tissue chromium concentrations and chromium absorption in rats. J Trace Elem Exp Med 9:11–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kottwitz K, Lachinsky N, Fischer R, Nielsen P. (2009) Absorption, excretion and retention of 51Cr from labelled Cr-(III)-picolinate in rats. 22:289–295.

  31. Clodfelder BJ, Chang C, Vincent JB (2004) Absorption of the biomimetic chromium cation triaqua-μ3-oxo-μ-hexapropionatotrichromium(III) in rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 97:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Sun Y, Mallya K, Ramirez J, Vincent JB (1999) The biomimetic [Cr3O(O2CCH2CH3)6(H2O)3]+ decreases plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in rats: towards chromium-containing therapeutics. J Biol Inorg Chem 4:838–845

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Debski B, Krejpcio Z, Kuryl T et al (2004) Biomimetic chromium(III) complex and fructan supplementation affect insulin and membrane glucose transport in rats. J Trace Elem Exp Med 17:206–207

    Google Scholar 

  34. Kuryl T, Krejpcio Z, Wokciak R et al (2006) Chromium(III) propionate and dietary fructans supplementation stimulate glucose uptake and beta-oxidation in lymphocytes of rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 114:237–248

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Krejpcio Z, Debski B, Wojciak R et al (2004) Biomimetic chromium(III) complex and fructan supplementation improve blood variables in STZ-induced diabetic rats. J Trace Elem Exp Med 17:207–208

    Google Scholar 

  36. Król E, Krejpcio Z (2011) Evaluation of anti-diabetic potential of chromium(III) propionate complex in high-fat fed and STZ injected rats. Food Chem Toxicol 49:3217–3223

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Studies at The University of Alabama were supported by the National Research Initiative Grant 2009-35200-05200 from the USDA Cooperative State, Research, Educational, and Extension Service to J.B.V. and J.F.R. The authors would like to thank the following for the assistance with the harvesting of tissues: Bin Liu, Grace Nichols, and Amanda Wright. JBV is an inventor or co-inventor of patents on the use of Cr3 as a nutritional supplement or therapeutic agent; however, none of the patents are currently licensed while the patent holder, The University of Alabama, has no plans to produce or market Cr3.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Nutrition and Hygiene, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 31, 60-624, Poznan, Poland

    Halina Staniek & Zbigniew Krejpcio

  2. Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0336, USA

    Nicholas R. Rhodes, Ge Deng, Sharifa T. Love & John B. Vincent

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0336, USA

    Kristin R. Di Bona, Leigh Ann Pledger, Jeremy Blount, Emmalea Gomberg, Frances Grappe, Chelsea Cernosek, Brittany Peoples & Jane F. Rasco

Authors
  1. Halina Staniek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nicholas R. Rhodes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kristin R. Di Bona
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ge Deng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sharifa T. Love
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Leigh Ann Pledger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jeremy Blount
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Emmalea Gomberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Frances Grappe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Chelsea Cernosek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Brittany Peoples
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Jane F. Rasco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Zbigniew Krejpcio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. John B. Vincent
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John B. Vincent.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Staniek, H., Rhodes, N.R., Di Bona, K.R. et al. Comparison of Tissue Metal Concentrations in Zucker Lean, Zucker Obese, and Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats and the Effects of Chromium Supplementation on Tissue Metal Concentrations. Biol Trace Elem Res 151, 373–383 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-012-9565-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-012-9565-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation