Author
 |
Klevay, Leslie |
|
Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/1996 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The Western diet so closely associated with risk of ischemic heart disease frequently is low in copper. Sullivan, among others, has developed the concept that higher body burdens of iron thought to be normal by many may, in fact, increase heart disease risk. Thirty male, weanling rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were assigned to two groups matched by mean body weight. All were fed a purified diet (Klevay, Am J Clin Nutr 26: 1060, 1973) based on sucrose (62%), egg white protein (20%) and corn oil (10%) and containing all nutrients essential for rats. Dietary copper and zinc were increased to 2.0 and by 13.0 ug/g, respectively, by addition of finely ground cupric sulfate and zinc acetate. Half the animals were fed the diet with the usual amount of iron (dietary iron 217 ug/g); the other half received the diet with 35 ug iron/g. After 6 weeks, higher iron induced (mean+/-SE) hypercholesterolemia (by fluorometry) (141+/-4.3 vs 127+/-3.7 mg/dl, p<0.02), decreased hepatic copper (5.6+/-0.71 vs 8.7+/- 0.55 ug/dry g, p<0.002) and increased hepatic iron (by atomic absorption spectrometry) (648+/-52.8 vs 301+/-25.9, p=0.0001). Heart weight increased (1.38+/-0.04 vs 1.22+/-0.02, p<0.005); serum ceruloplasmin (by oxidase activity) decreased (4.0+/-1.47 vs 20.3+/-5.19 mg/dl, p<0.008). Hematology (by Abbott Cell Dyn 3500CS) revealed no differences from normal or between groups in erythrocyte count or indices, hemoglobin or hematocrit. Excess iron can impair copper nutriture to produce harm. |
