Copper In Man Research Articles

Consumption of organic diets does not affect intake and absorption of zinc and copper in men – evidence from two cross-over trials

Agricultural methods may affect the nutritional composition of plants and cause complex changes in the food matrix. Whether this affects the dietary absorption of minerals that are important for maintaining health thorough life remains unclear. We compared the effects of organic and conventional diets on intake and absorption of zinc and copper in men. Two double-blinded, cross-over, intervention trials (3 dietary periods of 12 days with 2-week-long wash-out) were performed in 2008 (n = 17) and 2009 (n = 16) in young men. The diets were based on 9 crops grown in rigidly controlled organic and conventional systems in 2 replications over 2 years. The primary outcomes were intake and absorption of zinc and copper. The absorption was determined by faecal excretion of stable enriched isotopes extrinsically added to the entire menu. Within each year, the intake and absorption of zinc (overall mean ± SD; 12.35 ± 0.47 mg per 10 MJ and 44.6% ± 12.1, respectively) and copper (overall mean ± SD; 2.12 ± 0.28 mg per 10 MJ and 41.2% ± 13.2, respectively) were not different between the organic and conventional diets. The growing season had no effect on zinc intake and absorption, but the copper intake was higher (P = 0.01) and absorption lower (P < 0.005) in 2008 compared with 2009 (overall mean absorption ± SD; 35.3% ± 13.5 in 2008 and 54.0% ± 10.7 in 2009). In conclusion, organic agriculture does not affect the intake and absorption of copper and zinc in men. Consequently, it does not seem to promote the health beneficial role of these minerals in vivo.

BLOOD copper in man.

Journal Article Blood Copper in Man Get access Nutrition Reviews, Volume 11, Issue 10, October 1953, Pages 296–299, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.1953.tb01224.x Published: 01 October 1953

Semen Quality and Reproductive Endocrine Function in Relation to Biomarkers of Lead, Cadmium, Zinc, and Copper in Men

Semen Quality and Reproductive Endocrine Function in Relation to Biomarkers of Lead, Cadmium, Zinc, and Copper in Men

Semen quality and reproductive endocrine function in relation to biomarkers of lead, cadmium, zinc, and copper in men.

Blood lead (BPb), activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP), blood cadmium (BCd), serum zinc (SZn), seminal fluid zinc (SfZn), serum copper (SCu), and parameters of semen quality and of reproductive endocrine function were measured in 149 healthy male industrial workers 20-43 years of age. The group contained 98 subjects with slight to moderate occupational exposure to Pb and 51 reference subjects. All of the subjects lived in Zagreb, Croatia. Significant (p < 0.05) correlations of BPb, ALAD, and/or EP with reproductive parameters indicated a Pb-related decrease in sperm density, in counts of total, motile, and viable sperm, in the percentage and count of progressively motile sperm, in parameters of prostate secretory function (SfZn, acid phosphatase, and citric acid in seminal fluid), and an increase in abnormal sperm head morphology, serum testosterone, and estradiol. These associations were confirmed by results of multiple regression, which also showed significant (p < 0. 05) influence of BCd, SZn, SCu, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, or age on certain reproductive parameters. These effects were mainly of lower rank and intensity as compared to Pb-related reproductive effects, whereas BCd contributed to a decrease in sperm motility and an increase in abnormal sperm morphology and serum testosterone. No significant Pb- or Cd-related influence was found on levels of the lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme LDH-C(4) and fructose in seminal fluid or on follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin in serum. The seminal fluid concentrations of Pb (SfPb) and Cd (SfCd) were measured in 118 of the 149 subjects, and a highly significant (p < 0.0001) correlation was found between BPb and SfPb levels (r = 0.571) and between BCd and SfCd levels (r = 0.490). The overall study results indicate that even moderate exposures to Pb (BPb < 400 microg/L) and Cd (BCd < 10 microg/L) can significantly reduce human semen quality without conclusive evidence of impairment of male reproductive endocrine function.

Thiotungstate-copper interactions I. Studies on the metabolism of [ 185W] tetrathiotungstate and the systemic interactions of labeled pharmacological doses with copper in rats

[ 185W] tetrathiotungstate was employed to study the metabolism of thiocompounds in rats after i.v. injection. At tracer levels (12.5 μg W) the most important plasma binding protein eluted in the position of ceruloplasmin but the association did not prevent uptake of thiotungstate by the liver. At higher dose levels (1.5 mg W) there was considerable hydrolysis immediately after injection with rapid excretion of label in urine. The [ 185W] tetrathiotungstate remaining in plasma was associated with albumin and the amount retained was increased by pretreatment of the rats with copper. The increased binding to albumin did not prevent hepatic uptake and over the short-term pretreatment with copper increased the movement of the isotope into subcellular organelles, probably lysosomes. The excretion in bile was increased and the label was associated with high molecular weight proteins. In liver cytosol the 185W was bound by specific, as yet uncharacterized, proteins. At the higher dose levels there was some movement to higher molecular weight proteins and this was greatly increased by the pretreatment with copper. The studies show that the metabolism of 185W tetrathiotungstate is sufficiently similar to 99Mo or 35S tetrathiomolybdate for work on the systemic interactions of thiocompounds and copper in man and animals.

Effect of copper intake on balance, absorption, and status indices of copper in men

Indices of Cu status were measured in 8 men fed diets low in Cu (0.89±0.10 mg/day), for periods ranging from 105 to 120 days. One man showed Cu depletion signs of significantly decreased plasma Cu, 8.7 μmole/L, at the end of depletion, vs 12.1 μmole/L during equilibration and 11.0 μmole/L at the end of repletion, and decreased RBS superoxide dismutase (SOD), 705 U/g Hgb at the end of depletion vs 3619 U/g Hgb at the end of repletion. Two others exhibited similar trends. Copper absorption by the men was not affected by the amount of dietary Cu. However, endogenous excretion of Cu during depletion was 50% of that during the control period (1.00±0.20 vs 0.50±0.17 mg Cu/d, p<0.0002) for control and depletion periods, respectively. Intakes of below 0.9 mg/d apparently result in signs of Cu depletion in healthy adults. Sex differences need to be considered when determining the effect of Cu depletion on various indices of Cu status.

The Nature and Excretion of Biliary Copper in Man

The Nature and Excretion of Biliary Copper in Man

The nature of the copper complexes in bile and their relationship to the absorption and excretion of copper in normal subjects and in Wilson's disease.

Copper in bile has been shown by electrophoresis to occur neither as free ions nor complexed to protein but to be associated with a component of the micellar complexes of bile. Solvent fractionation studies suggest that the bile salt components of the lecithin-bile salt complexes are the active binding agents. The effects of specific bile salts on the behaviour of copper during electrophoresis supports this possibility. The relationship of certain bile salts to the excretion of copper in man during the time that an external biliary fistula was functioning and to the intestinal absorption of copper in the rat was found to confirm this concept. The results show that copper in bile is associated with taurochenodeoxycholate and suggest an explanation for the elevated tissue copper levels found in Wilson's disease.

Studies on the nature and excretion of biliary copper in man.

1. Gall-bladder bile was obtained at cholecystectomy from seven patients who had been given [64Cu]cupric acetate intravenously. 2. Studies using dialysis and Sephadex gel filtration indicated that most of the 64Cu in the bile was in a heat-stable complex of molecular weight exceeding 50 000. The remaining biliary 64Cu was in a low-molecular-weight component. 3. Above pH 4, 64Cu could not readily be removed from the macromolecular complex either by excess carrier copper ions, by d-penicillamine or by EDTA. 4. Absorption of 64Cu from 64Cu-labelled bile injected intraduodenally into rats was significantly less than from [64Cu]cupric acetate similarly injected. 5. These observations suggest that limitation of an entero-hepatic circulation of copper by a biliary macromolecule which differs from caeruloplasmin, may be a significant factor in copper homeostasis in man.

Absorption of exogenous and endogenous biliary copper in the rat.

THE daily intake of copper in man exceeds normal requirements1, but abnormally high body stores have only been recorded in Wilson's disease2,3. Knowledge of the exact mechanism of the absorption of dietary copper is incomplete4 and even less is known about the absorption of endogenous biliary copper or its entero-hepatic circulation4,5. This report concerns the relative intestinal absorption of exogenous copper-64 in two chemical forms (ionic cupric acetate and chelated copper (II-EDTA)) and the absorption of endogenous biliary copper and caeruloplasmin copper.

Effect of BAL-Intrav on Excretion of Copper by the Sheep

McCance and Widdowson1 have shown that intravenous injection of BAL-Intrav (dithiogiycerol glucoside) increased greatly the urinary excretion of copper in man. In view of the importance of naturally occurring diseases in sheep associated with either a deficiency of copper (for example, enzootic ataxia2 or 'swayback' of lambs) or an excessive storage of copper (for example, toxmic jaundice3), preliminary trials were made to ascertain whether, in sheep, BAL-Intrav would similarly influence the excretion of copper. It was felt that the experimental use of this substance and of related compounds might prove of value in the elucidation of some of the unsolved problems associated with the copper metabolism of the sheep.

Metabolism of copper in man

Acta Medica ScandinavicaVolume 118, Issue 1-3 p. 163-196 Metabolism of copper in man A. H. van RAVESTEYN, A. H. van RAVESTEYN Medical University Clinic in Utrecht, Holland. Chief of the Clinic: Prof. dr C. D. de LangenSearch for more papers by this author A. H. van RAVESTEYN, A. H. van RAVESTEYN Medical University Clinic in Utrecht, Holland. Chief of the Clinic: Prof. dr C. D. de LangenSearch for more papers by this author First published: January/December 1944 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0954-6820.1944.tb17799.xCitations: 49AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume118, Issue1-3January/December 1944Pages 163-196 RelatedInformation