We previously published that dietary zinc supplementation can reverse zinc deficiency in the alveolar space of alcohol-fed rats (Joshi et al., 2008). Here, we determined that pneumonia severity was associated with this alveolar zinc deficiency in the setting of chronic alcohol ingestion. Bacterial clearance was employed as a surrogate marker of pneumonia severity and was significantly impaired in alcohol-fed rats that exhibit alveolar zinc deficiency. As shown in Figure 1, alcohol-fed animals had a five-fold greater (P<0.05) lung burden of bacteria than control-fed rats 24 hrs following intratracheal inoculation with Klebsiella pneumoniae. In contrast, alcohol-fed rats whose diets were supplemented with zinc acetate (100 mg/L) cleared bacteria from their lungs as well as control-fed rats (P>0.05).
