title: Oral copper supplementation: effect on copper and zinc balance during acute gastroenteritis in infants.
abstract: To evaluate the effect of copper supplementation during recovery from acute diarrhea, we randomly assigned 14 hospitalized infants to receive either 80 micrograms copper sulfate.kg body wt-1.d-1 or a placebo. Metabolic balance and plasma copper and zinc concentrations were measured before randomization (period 1) and 6 d after admission (period 2). Fifteen control subjects were studied after respiratory illness. Fecal copper was not affected by supplementation; fecal zinc during period 2 rose significantly only in the copper-supplemented group. Copper retention was significantly higher in the supplemented infants; plasma concentrations increased for period 2 but were similar to those in the placebo group. Zinc concentrations improved over time in both groups but zinc retention was higher in the placebo group for period 2. A significant interference by copper supplementation on zinc absorption was noted. Copper supplementation during the early phase of recovery from diarrhea is not recommended.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castillo-Durán
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vial
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uauy
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis*; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011897:Random Allocation; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc