Author
 |
Uthus, Eric |
|
Submitted to: Journal of Trace Elements in Experimental Medicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 4/5/2000 Publication Date: 1/23/2001 Citation: Uthus, E.O. 2001. High dietary arsenic exacerbates copper deprivation in rats. Journal of Trace Elements in Experimental Medicine. 14:43-55. Interpretive Summary: High amounts of dietary arsenic are known to cause the accumulation of the trace mineral copper in kidneys of rats. Because of the known toxicity of arsenic and the fact that there is considerable evidence that arsenic is an essential element, more detailed studies of the effect of arsenic on copper seemed appropriate. The experiment used groups of male rats fed diets containing variable amounts of copper and arsenic to study the effect of low, normal, and high dietary arsenic on copper and to study the effect of deficient, normal and high dietary copper on arsenic. After 62 days various tests were performed. The results confirm earlier findings showing that high dietary arsenic causes a marked accumulation of copper in the kidney of rats. Additionally, the results suggest that high dietary arsenic made signs of copper deficiency worse. The mechanism for the apparent exacerbation of copper deficiency by high arsenic is not known. The results suggest that copper status should be monitored in situations where there is exposure to high concentrations of arsenic. Technical Abstract: Pharmacologic or toxicologic amounts of dietary arsenic are known to cause accumulation of copper in kidneys of rats. Because of the known toxicity of arsenic and the fact that there is considerable evidence that arsenic is an essential element, more detailed studies of the effect of arsenic on copper seemed appropriate. Therefore, an experiment was designed to study the possible interaction between arsenic and copper. The experiment used male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats in a two factor, three-by-three design with dietary variables arsenic (supplemented as As2O3 at 0, 0.5 or 50 ug/g) and copper (supplemented as cupric carbonate at 1, 6, or 25 ug/g). At 62 days various parameters were measured. The results confirm earlier findings showing that high dietary arsenic causes a marked accumulation of copper in the kidney of rats. Additionally, the results suggest that high dietary arsenic can exacerbate signs of copper deficiency. For example, heart weight/body weight ratio and the concentration of liver iron were increased by copper deprivation, both parameters were further increased in rats fed 50 ug arsenic/g diet. Also, in rats fed high dietary arsenic, ceruloplasmin was markedly decreased in rats fed 1 or 6 ug copper/g diet compared to rats fed 25 ug copper/g. The mechanism for the apparent exacerbation of copper deficiency by high arsenic is not known. |
