Nutritional Value of Zinc Ions in Endometriosis Pain Management

Abstract

Good nutrition is important in several physiological processes important in maintaining the normal body metabolism and serves as a remedy for several metabolic disorders in our bodies. Of importance are mineral ions which have been found to act as coenzymes in many physiological processes in our bodies. Zinc metal an abundant trace element which plays a major role in genetic stability and function has been associated with pain relief in endometriosis. It is normally present in many parts of the cell which include the cell nucleus, nucleolus and chromosomes whereby it is involved in the stabilization of DNA and RNA structure. This study aimed to investigate the nutritional value of zinc ions in endometriosis patients and its possible role in endometriosis pain management. Endometriosis patients were given zinc ions as a nutritional supplement and to ease their pain during endometriosis over six months and their blood samples taken, serum obtained from blood, and Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and PGF2 in serum from patients and controls quantified. Results showed that serum samples from endometriosis patients secreted higher levels of PGE2 compared to controls. Patients who had taken higher amounts of zinc ions had lower levels of prostaglandin secretions suggesting that zinc ions added as nutritional supplements to endometriosis patients led to reduction in pain. On the other hand, PGF2 secretion in serum obtained from endometriotic patients and controls showed no significant difference. The study showed significant secretion of PGE2 by cell line supernatants upon treatment with 5µM zinc underscoring importance of zinc in pain relief. These results obtained formed a basis for further experiments.