Objective: Zinc deficiency is common among populations at high risk for sepsis mortality,
including elderly, alcoholic, and hospitalized patients. Zinc deficiency causes exaggerated
inflammatory responses to endotoxin but has not been evaluated during bacterial sepsis.
We hypothesized that subacute zinc deficiency would amplify immune responses and
oxidant stress during bacterial sepsis {lsqb; ie, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP){rsqb;
resulting in increased mortality and that acute nutritional repletion of zinc would be …