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Zinc is a crucial nutritional component required for the normal development and maintenance of immune functions. It has been reported that zinc is a potent inhibitor of DNA fragmentation, the specific marker of apoptosis. The effect of zinc on apoptotic cell death has been previously studied in a narrow range of high zinc concentrations, and the role of physiological zinc doses has not yet been elucidated. In this paper we evaluate the effect of in vitro Zn²⁺ administration at concentrations higher than, corresponding to, and lower than the physiological concentration, in thymocytes from young mice. We demonstrate that Zn²⁺ has an opposite effect on apoptosis, inhibiting or increasing it depending on the Zn²⁺ concentration used. High Zn²⁺ concentrations (from 600 to 75 μM) inhibit both serum-free medium and DEX-induced thymocyte apoptosis. Low Zn²⁺ concentrations (from 15 to 7.5 μM) induce apoptosis or …