title: Altered organ growth and zinc and copper distribution in endotoxin-treated neonatal mice.
abstract: Organ weights and the distribution of zinc and copper were compared in HLA/ICR mice that received intraperitoneal injections of 10 micrograms of Serratia marcescens lipopolysaccharide W or of sterile physiologic saline at 2 d of age. Between 5 and 28 d of age, body weight gains were similar in both groups. At 5 and 7 d of age, lipopolysaccharide W-treated mice had significantly lower thymus weights (p less than 0.01). At 7 d of age, liver weight was significantly increased (p less than 0.01) in lipopolysaccharide W-treated mice. Compared with tissue copper concentration in coeval saline-treated mice, lipopolysaccharide W treatment significantly increased copper concentration in thymus at 5 d of age (p less than 0.05) and significantly decreased concentration of this metal in liver at 7 d of age (p less than 0.05) and in spleen at 14 d of age (p less than 0.05). Liver zinc concentration was significantly lower (p less than 0.05) in 28-d-old mice that had received lipopolysaccharide W. When expressed on the basis of total organ burdens of zinc or copper, only the liver burden of zinc in 5-d-old lipopolysaccharide W-treated mice was significantly increased (p less than 0.05). Lipopolysaccharide W treatment consistently decreased copper concentration in liver cytosol and the amounts of zinc and copper bound to metallothionein, a transition metal-binding protein, in liver cytosol. These effects of lipopolysaccharide W on organ size and metal distribution may contribute to the adverse effects that persist after endotoxin exposure in early life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68198.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Winchurch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D012706:Serratia marcescens; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D003300:Copper; D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc