Intestinal uptake and retention of copper in the suckling rat, Rattus rattus--III. Effects of closure.
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. 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. 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.
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D003348:Cortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D007700:Kinetics; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D003300:Copper; D003348:Cortisone