Isotopic dilution analysis of zinc in some tissue samples of urogenital systems of rats using 65Zn

Zinc plays an important role in prostate functions. For this reason, in this study some rats have been nourished with foods containing different zinc levels and some tissue samples removed at different intervals of time from their prostate, testis, and seminal vesicle. The zinc contents of these samples have been determined using the isotopic dilution analysis technique applied with ⁶⁵Zn. In this way, the zinc contents of tissues varying between 0.02–4.50 μg Zn/g wet tissue could be determined with good precision. As a result, the zinc content of the prostate was found to be considerably high with respect to the zinc contents of the testis and the seminal vesicle. It is also interesting to note that a high zinc level in foods results in the accumulation of zinc in the prostate rather than in the testis and the seminal vesicle. The zinc content of the seminal vesicle decreases with a function of time passed from the beginning of the diet which contrasts with the case of prostate. It is also very remarkable that when the level of zinc in the body is low, the content of zinc in the testis is considerably higher.