Development of Anemia in Copper-Deficient Rats Fed High Levels of Dietary Iron and Sucrose

Abstract

The effects of dietary carbohydrate and iron on the development of copper deficiency were examined. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 48) were limit-fed one of eight diets in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design for 19 d. Two levels of copper (0.85 or 8.6 µg Cu/g diet) and iron (54 or 226 µg Fe/g diet) and two types of carbohydrate (sucrose or cornstarch, 65.3%) were fed. Compared with control rats, copper-deficient rats had lower hematocrits, lower ceruloplasmin levels, lower tissue levels of copper and increased hepatic iron levels. Copper-deficient rats fed sucrose had significantly lower hematocrits, lower apparent absorption of copper, lower liver iron levels and higher plasma triglyceride levels than copper-deficient rats fed cornstarch. Copper-deficient rats fed sucrose with 226 µg Fe/g diet had hematocrit levels that were 15% lower than all other copper-deficient levels and 23% lower than control levels. Tissue levels of copper among copper-deficient rats were not affected by the type of carbohydrate or by the level of dietary iron. These data indicate that both high iron and sucrose can affect the development of the copper deficiency.