Abstract

Background: In this work we determined zinc level in the brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen and thigh muscle of the ethanol- and morphine-intoxicated mice.
Material/Methods: The experiment was conducted on mice, which were divided into four groups of ten mice each. They were given ethanol intragastrically, morphine - intraperitoneally, and a combination of ethanol and morphine. The concentration of zinc was determined spectrophotometrically, using spectrophotometer Pye Unicam SP-192.
Results: The narcotic drugs affected zinc level and zinc distribution in the tested tissues. All the narcotic agents caused an increase in zinc concentration in blood serum and a decrease of this microelement in the brain. Ethanol intoxication caused a decrease of zinc level in all the tissues except the heart. Morphine- as well as morphine-and-ethanol intoxication, however, caused an increase or decrease of this microelement.

Keywords: intoxicated mice, Zinc, Morphine, Ethanol