Interrelationships of Zinc and Copper Nutriture in the Rat

Abstract

Metabolic interrelationships resulting from varying the dietary intake of both zinc and copper in a factorial design were investigated in male rats using suboptimal and optimal intakes of these metals. The results show that there were no changes in the zinc and copper contents of brain, skin, esophagus, spleen, leg muscle, and testes as zinc varied from 2.5 to 40.0 µg/ml of drinking water and copper ranged from 0.25 to 2.0 µg/ml. The zinc levels of aorta, liver, and heart did not change with either dietary zinc or copper, but the copper contents of liver, heart, and aorta responded to variations of dietary zinc and/or copper. Kidney zinc and copper were inversely correlated suggesting a metabolic interrelationship of these two metals in this organ. Similarly, correlations were found in serum levels of zinc and/or copper on the one hand, and kidney zinc and copper, heart copper, liver copper, aorta copper, and hair zinc and copper on the other. The data suggest the usefulness of hair to evaluate zinc and copper nutriture and metabolism.