While zinc is well known to act as a cofactor in more than 300 metalloenzymes, zinc also plays important role in catalytic reactions as an electron acceptor, structural integrity of proteins, regulations and hepatic synthesis of retinol-binding protein.
Increasing evidence suggest that zinc play a cortical role in regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism. A lower lipid hepatic zinc level was associated with steatosis in leptin receptor deficiency rats.
Alcoholic steatosis is a fundamental metabolic disorder in the progression of alcoholic liver disease. Zinc deficiency is one of the most consistently observed biochemical/nutritional manifestation of alcoholic lover disease.
In liver disease, zinc deficiency may manifest itself, including skin lesions, poor wound healing, liver regeneration, altered metal status, or altered function.
Liver disease may result in hypoalbuminemia, increased infection, and acute stress that may skew biochemical markers for zinc.
Zinc in hepatic disease
