Iron and zinc concentrations in testes, epididymis and prostate are important for the proper functioning of male reproductive tract. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of diet supplementation with high doses of iron and/or zinc and the termination of this practice on the content of these minerals in the testes, epididymis and prostate. The experiment was conducted on 132 male Wistar rats, in three stages: I) 4-week adaptation to diets (C - control or D - iron deficient), II) 4-week supplementation (10-times more vs. C diet of iron: CSFe, DSFe; zinc: CSZn, DSZn; or iron and zinc: CSFeZn, DSFeZn), and III) a 2-week post-supplementation period (the same diets as during stage I). The content of iron and zinc in tissues was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Directly after stage II (after 4-week supplementation), the content of iron in the epididymis in the DSFe rats was significantly higher than in the DSZn rats; similar differences in the iron content were not observed in the testes and prostate. The effect of the supplementation was observed mainly after stage III (after 2-week post-supplementation period); the content of iron in testes, epididymis and prostate in DSFe and DSFeZn rats was statistically significantly higher than in D and DSZn rats (all P-values ≤0.05). There was no effect of the applied treatments on the zinc status. Simultaneous iron and zinc supplementation was effective to a similar extent as in the case of iron supplementation alone in the correction of the iron level in reproductive tissues in rats fed an iron-deficient diet. The observed effect was delayed and it was mainly visible 2 weeks after the termination of the supplementation.  

24.2.2019