Intestinal uptake and retention of copper in the suckling rat, Rattus rattus—III. Effects of closure

Abstract

1. 1. The ileum of suckling rats contains a high level of copper, most of which is concentrated within cytoplasmic vesicles of the enterocytes. Intestinal closure, 20–21 days after birth, results in the replacement of enterocytes by cells devoid of these vesicles and there is a concomitant fall in the level of copper in the ileum. 2. 2. Administration of cortisone acetate (0.5 mg/g body wt) to 5-day-old rats results in premature loss of copper-laden ileal enterocytes and an 80–90% decrease in the ileal copper concentration. 3. 3. The loss of copper is mainly from the soluble fraction of the tissue and is proportionally greater from the high molecular weight-protein fraction rather than from the copper complex.