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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Davis, California » Western Human Nutrition Research Center » Obesity and Metabolism Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #205162
Title: Longitudinal measures of circulating leptin and ghrelin concentrations are associated with the growth of young Peruvian children but are not affected by zinc supplementation

Author
item ARSENAULT, JOANNE - UNIV. CALIF. DAVIS
item HAVEL, PETER - UNIV. CALIF. DAVIS
item DE ROMANA, DANIEL - NUTR. LIMA, PERU
item PENNY, MARY - NUTR. LIMA, PERU
item Van Loan, Marta
item BROWN, KENNETH - UNIV. CALIF. DAVIS

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2007
Publication Date: 10/1/2007
Citation: Arsenault, J., Havel, P., De Romana, D.L., Penny, M., Van Loan, M.D., Brown, K. 2007. Longitudinal measures of circulating leptin and ghrelin concentrations are associated with the growth of young Peruvian children but are not affected by zinc supplementation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 86:1111-1119.

Interpretive Summary: Energy metabolism is highly regulated by a variety of hormones like leptin and ghrelin. A critical period for understanding the balance between energy regulation and these hormones is during infancy. Zinc is an important mineral and essential for growth because it influences hormones that regulate energy metabolism and, therefore, is especially important during childhood. Children 6-8 months of age were given zinc either as a liquid supplement or in cooked cereal. Changes in growth were measured 3 and 6 months after the start of the intervention. There were no differences in blood levels of leptin and ghrelin whether the liquid supplement was used or the fortified cooked cereal. Blood levels of leptin or ghrelin at the start of the study or after 3 months of intervention were indicative of subsequent changes in growth. Perhaps the initial blood level of zinc in these children was not sufficiently low enough that the fortification was an important factor in the growth of the children.

Technical Abstract: Background: Leptin, ghrelin and insulin are hormonal regulators of energy balance and, therefore, may be related to growth during infancy. Zinc is essential for growth and may have an effect on growth through these hormones. Objectives: To determine whether supplemental zinc affects plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations among young children at risk of zinc deficiency, and to examine relationships between these hormones and physical growth. Design: Infants (n=142) 6-8 months of age were randomly assigned to receive 3 mg/d of zinc, either as a supplement or in a fortified food, or a placebo, for 6 months. Relationships between hormones and anthropometric Z-scores, body composition, and growth velocity were examined at 3 and 6 months after the start of the intervention. Results: There were no treatment group-related differences in anthropometric Z-scores or in plasma leptin, ghrelin, insulin or glucose at 3- or 6-months after the start of the zinc intervention. Neither plasma leptin or ghrelin concentrations at baseline or 3 months were predictive of subsequent changes in anthropometric Z-scores, however changes in weight-for-age Z-score over the two 3-month time intervals were positively associated with subsequent leptin, and negatively associated with subsequent ghrelin concentrations. Conclusions: Zinc supplementation or fortification did not affect anthropometric indices or plasma hormone concentrations in this study population. These results suggest that plasma ghrelin and leptin in later infancy are a consequence of previous weight changes rather than predictors of short-term growth.