Copper-induced toxicity in macular mutant mouse: An animal model for Menkes' kinky-hair disease

Abstract

These studies were designed to determine if macular mutant mouse, which is a proposed animal model of Menkes' kinky-hair disease, is sensitive to the acute toxic effects of Cu as compared to normal and heterozygote mice. Single sc injection of Cu were administered to 6-to 8-day-old mice, and mortalities were recorded for 30 days. The copper treatment at high doses (12 to 25 mg Cu/kg) was very toxic to mutant mice as compared to normal mice, and almost all mutant mice died within 10 days after injection. The effect of Cu toxicity on heterozygote mice was intermediate. The LD50 values 3 days after injection of Cu were 29.5 mg Cu/kg for normal mice, 23.5 mg Cu/kg for heterozygote mice, and 15.5 mg Cu/kg for mutant mice. In Cu-injected mutant mice (11 and 18 mg Cu/kg), significant elevations in serum aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activity occurred as compared to Cu-injected normal and heterozygote mice. However, no significant elevations in serum creatinine and urea nitrogen contents in Cu-injected mutant were observed as compared to normal and heterozygote mouse. No significant differences in heaptic metallothionein(MT) and MT-1 mRNA, and serum ceruloplasmin oxidase activity levels were observed between Cu-injected normal and mutant mouse. These results indicated that macular mutant mice was sensitive to the acute toxic or hepatotoxic effects of Cu as compared to normal and heterozygote mice.