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Hypertension in rats deficient in copper

Conference · · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5382115
Male weanling rats were matched into two groups of equal mean weight (48 g), were fed a diet low in copper and zinc and were supplemented with a drinking solution with 10..mu..gZn and 2/sup +/gCu per ml until they grew to approximately 300 g. Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) was measured without anesthesia with an Electro-Sphygmomanometer and pneumatic pulse transducer; no significant difference between groups was found (0 > 0.05). Then copper was omitted from the solution of the group with lower blood pressure in each of two experiments. Plasma cholesterol (mg/dl) was measured by fluorometry and blood pressure was measured again 53 to 86 days later; mean (SE), n = 14, 15. Hypercholesterolemia verified deficiency. Hypotension in copper deficient rats in experiments of others probably was the result of cardiac defects induced in weanling animals. Hypertension joins hypercholesterolemia, hyperuricemia, glucose intolerance and abnormal electrocardiograms as a stigma of copper deficiency. Copper deficiency is the only nutritional insult that induces all of these characteristics useful in predicting risk of ischemic heart disease.
Research Organization:
Dept. of Agriculture, Grand Forks, ND
OSTI ID:
5382115
Report Number(s):
CONF-8604222-
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States) Journal Volume: 45:3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English