Author
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Klevay, Leslie |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/1998 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Bergomi et al. measured copper and zinc in body fluids and activities of some enzymes dependent on these elements in men and women with untreated, mild essential hypertension and in a matched, noromotensive group. An inverse correlation between the activity of lysyloxidase in serum with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the hypertensive group was found. Perhaps these hypertensive people are mildly deficient in copper. Assessment of copper and zinc status is difficult unless deficiencies are severe. The sensitivity of various indices to copper deficiency is quite variable. Adult rats deprived of copper become hypertensive; stress can add to the blood pressure increase produced by deficiency. Women deprived of copper have an abnormally large increase in blood pressure during sustained hand grip, indicating that this mild stressor can modify autonomic function. Plasma copper of these women was not changed significantly by depletion; enzymatic ceruloplasmin decreased and immunoassay ceruloplasmin increased. The ratio of ceruloplasmin values (enzyme/immune) better reflected copper status and physiology than other measurements correlated negatively with mean arterial blood pressure for all the women during all phases of the depletion study. Impaired vascular relaxation, increased sensitivity to pressor hormones and altered function of the locus coeruleus have been suggested as mechanisms by which copper deficiency can raise blood pressure; impaired oxidative defense may be predominant. Serum lysyl oxidase is an important new index for study; comparison with more conventional indices of copper and zinc status to evaluate its sensitivity is desirable. |
