Development of Copper Deficiency in Rats Fed Fructose or Starch: Weekly Measurements of Copper Indices in Blood

Meira Fields, Janet Holbrook, Daniel Scholfield, Alice Rose, James C. Smith, Sheldon Reiser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

Copper deficiency was induced in weanling rats fed diets whose sole source of carbohydrates was starch or fructose for 7 weeks. Conventional parameters of copper status, plasma copper concentrations, ceruloplasmin activity, and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity-were longitudinally monitored weekly to follow the development of the deficiency and to correlate these indices with the degree of severity of the deficiency. Although 30% of the rats fed a copper-deficient fructose diet died and no deaths occurred in rats fed the copper-deficient starch diet, plasma copper, ceruloplasmin, and SOD activities were reduced to a similar extent in all rats fed copper-deficient diets regardless of the type of dietary carbohydrate. Thus, none of the indices used accurately reflected the greater degree of deficiency or mortality in rats fed the fructose diet deficient in copper. The results of the present study underscore the need for more sensitive tests or alternative parameters to assess copper status in living animals.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)120-124
Number of pages5
JournalProceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
Volume181
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1986
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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