The influence of gender on developing copper deficiency and on free radical generation of rats fed a fructose diet. Metabolism 1992 Sep;41(9):989-94
Date
09/01/1992Pubmed ID
1325594DOI
10.1016/0026-0495(92)90125-TScopus ID
2-s2.0-0026783668 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 41 CitationsAbstract
The present investigation was conducted to determine whether differences in copper and iron status between male and female rats can be detected during the development of copper deficiency. These differences may explain the protection of the female against the severity of copper deficiency. In addition, the livers of all rats were exposed to electron-spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy for the presence of free radicals. Male and female rats were fed from weaning either copper-deficient or -adequate diets containing fructose for 31 days. Rats were killed at day 0, 8, 16, 24, and 31 of the study. Throughout the study, copper-deficient males exhibited the same organ copper concentrations as copper-deficient female rats. However, only in the male did copper deficiency cause a reduction in body weight and an increase in liver and heart sizes but a decrease in pancreas size. In contrast, organ iron concentrations were different between males and females. Only copper-deficient males were anemic. Only the livers of copper-deficient males showed the presence of free radicals. Although the livers of copper-deficient female rats exhibited higher concentrations of hepatic iron than their male counterparts, their livers did not show the presence of free radicals. The data of the present study suggest that changes in organ sizes and the severity of copper deficiency are not solely due to the total concentrations of iron and/or copper. The type of iron compound and the presence of free radicals may be involved in the pathology of copper deficiency of the male.
Author List
Fields M, Lewis CG, Lure M, Antholine WEMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Analysis of VarianceAnimals
Atrophy
Body Weight
Copper
Dietary Carbohydrates
Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy
Female
Free Radicals
Fructose
Hypertrophy
Iron
Liver
Male
Myocardium
Organ Size
Pancreas
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains
Sex Characteristics
Thymus Gland
Time Factors
