Zinc is an essential micronutrient and has a finely regulated mechanism in the body. The human body of 70 kg contains 2-3 g of zinc. Zinc concentrations in tissues vary by at least one order of magnitude, from approximately 100 ug/g wet tissue in bone to approximately 10 ug/g in brain. Zinc homeostasis regulates zinc concentration in cells and tissues quite efficient and prevents the body from excessive accumulation over a wide range of dietary zinc intake.
Disturbance of zinc homeostasis due to genetic defects or dietary availability influences the development of diseases such as diabetes (insulin is stored as a zinc complex) cirrhosis of the lover, cancer, asthma, bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
Zinc homeostasis in the brain is integral for normal brain function. Alterations in zinc levels can have devastating results with zinc becoming a pathogenic agent that mediates neuronal death in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and ischemia.
Metallothioneins or MT plays an important role in zinc homeostasis by complexing about 20% of intracellular zinc. MTs are characterized by a low molecular weight of 6-7 kDa, high cysteine content, and their ability to complex metal ions.
Zinc homeostasis
