Clinical observations and experimental data show that zinc (Zn) plays
a role in regulating arterial blood pressure and in arterial hypertension
etiopathogenesis. To determine the direction of changes in Zn metabolism
in primary arterial hypertension, Zn absorption from the alimentary tract,
Zn levels in blood serum, its content in lymphocytes, Zn efflux rate con-stants from lymphocytes, and urinary Zn excretion in patients with hyper-tension and in healthy subjects were studied. In this article, Zn levels in
blood serum, its content in lymphocytes, and Zn efflux rate constants from
lymphocytes are presented. In primary arterial hypertension, on the basis of
this study, decreasing Zn levels in blood serum and its decreasing content
in lymphocytes were found. The Zn efflux rate constants from lymphocytes
increased at the initial stage of hypertension (mild arterial hypertension)
and decreased in the late stage of the hypertension disease (severe arterial
hypertension). Taking into consideration all of the directions of changes and
the fact that Zn can be a factor that increases arterial blood pressure, the
changes in Zn distribution can be regarded as having, to a certain extent, a
protective character leading to weakening of the pressor reaction, assuming
a genetic existence of relative or absolute Zn excess in the body. The changes
of Zn distribution can lead, after some time, to Zn deficiency and the result-ing metabolic changes (e.g., carbohydrate intolerance)