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High Dietary Zinc Intake Is Associated with Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length, Mediated by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α: A Study of China Adults

  • Original Research
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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Diet can influence peripheral leukocyte telomere length (LTL), and various micronutrients have been reported to correlate with it. Zinc is known for its antioxidant properties and immunomodulatory effects. However, there are few epidemiological investigations on the relationship between dietary zinc intake and LTL. This study analyzed the association between dietary zinc and LTL and the potential role of inflammation and oxidative stress among them.

Design

Cross-sectional and community-based study.

Setting and Participants

599 participants from rural communities in the Changping suburb of Beijing, China, were recruited.

Measurements

Serum lipid profile, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), oxidative stress marker, and inflammatory cytokines levels were measured. Detailed dietary data were obtained using a 24 h food recall. LTL was assessed using a real-time PCR assay. Spearman analysis, restricted cubic splines (RCS), and general linear regression models were used to determine the association between dietary zinc intake and LTL. Simple regulatory models were also applied to analyze the role of inflammation and oxidative stress among them.

Results

A total of 482 subjects were ultimately included in this analysis. Spearman analysis showed that dietary zinc intake and zinc intake under energy density were negatively correlated with LTL (r=−0.142 and −0.126, all P <0.05) and positively correlated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (r=0.138 and 0.202, all P <0.05) while only dietary zinc without energy adjustment had a positive correlation with superoxide dismutase (SOD). RCS (P for non-linearity=0.933) and multiple linear regression (B=−0.084, P=0.009) indicated a negative linear association between dietary zinc and LTL. The adjustment of TNF-α rather than SOD could abolish the relationship. The mediation model suggested that the unfavorable effect of dietary zinc on LTL was mediated by TNF-α.

Conclusions

High dietary zinc may correlate with telomere attrition, and TNF-α can act as a mediator in this relationship. In the future, more extensive cohort studies are needed to further explore the relationship between dietary zinc and cellular aging and the specific mechanisms.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all of the participants in this study. The authors’ responsibilities were as follows–BD Xing, HB Zhang, YX Li: designed the research; BD Xing, J Yu, YW Liu, XY Chen, ZY Li, LY He, N Yang: helped to organize the data; SLH: calculated the nutrient related data; BD Xing, J Yu, HB Zhang analyzed the data; BD Xing wrote the paper; LL Xu, F Ping, W Li gave instruction to data analyses: W Li and YX Li reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

Funding: This research is supported by National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding (2022-PUMCH-B-015) and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS,2021-I2M-1-002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Endocrinology of National Health Commission, Translation Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China

    B. Xing, J. Yu, Y. Liu, X. Chen, Z. Li, L. He, N. Yang, F. Ping, L. Xu, Wei Li, Huabing Zhang & Yuxiu Li

  2. Department of Nutrition, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China

    S. He

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  1. B. Xing
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  2. J. Yu
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  11. Wei Li
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Wei Li, Huabing Zhang or Yuxiu Li.

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Conflict of interests: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Ethical standards: The study was complied with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

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Xing, B., Yu, J., Liu, Y. et al. High Dietary Zinc Intake Is Associated with Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length, Mediated by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α: A Study of China Adults. J Nutr Health Aging 27, 904–910 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-023-1992-z

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