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Hair Zinc Level Affects Nociception in Humans: A Cross-sectional Study

2016; Pharmaceutical Society of Japan; Volume: 6; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

1347-5207

Eleana Tzoi, Evaggelos Paleologos, Panagiotis Lekkas, Konstantinos Krikonis, Demetrios Damigos, Vasiliki Kalfakakou,

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between hair zinc levels and nociception/ pain tolerance in reference to dietary preferences, smoking and/or alcohol consumption and exercise in young men, aged 19-40 years old. Methods: Hair samples were collected from 42 recruited healthy soldiers, aged 19-40 years old. All subjects were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire including demographic data, education status, dietary preferences, smoking and alcohol use, exercise or athletic habits and then were submitted to a stress test. Data were subjected to statistical analysis via the SPPS program. Results: Zinc levels and pain tolerance were found linearly and positively correlated (r=0.293, sig<0.05), higher levels of zinc were observed in athletes (t=-2.534, sig<0.05) and a significant positive relation was registered between hair zinc levels (rho=0.366, sig<0.05), pain tolerance (rho=0.291, sig<0.05) and frequency of athletic activity. Foods providing high zinc levels, to the consumers, such as red meat (r=0.324, sig<0.05), white meat (r=0.361, sig<0.05) and legumes (r=0.346, sig<0.05) revealed higher correlation scores to pain tolerance, whereas consumption of red meat (r= 0.447, sig<0.05) and legumes (r=0.355, sig<0.05) showed also higher hair zinc levels. Persons performing athletic activity consumed more often red meat, legumes and seafood and presented higher zinc levels (r=0.430, sig<0.05) and higher pain tolerance (r=0.428, sig<0.05). Finally a negative relation between hair zinc levels and age (rho=-0.337, sig<0.05) was registered. Conclusions: Zinc seems to modulate somatosensory function, nociception and pain tolerance in relation to a variety of lifestyle parameters.