title: Sexual differences in the expression of copper deficiency in rats.
abstract: The present investigation was undertaken to establish whether the severity of copper deficiency in rats fed diets containing fructose is affected by the presence and type of endogenous sex hormones. Intact and castrated male rats and intact and ovariectomized females were fed from weaning a copper-deficient diet (0.6 ppm) containing 62% fructose for 8 weeks. Regardless of castration, male rats were anemic, exhibited heart hypertrophy, and died of the deficiency. However, castration ameliorated the anemia and delayed the mortality. In contrast, none of the females died of the deficiency. It is suggested that in addition to the sex of the animal, levels of testosterone in the male may also play a role in the severity of copper deficiency.
authors: Department of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, D.C. 20007.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Fields
authors: C G
authors: CG
authors: Lewis
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Beal
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Scholfield
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Patterson
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Smith
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Reiser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000172:deficiency*; D004032:Diet; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D009929:Organ Size; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D003300:Copper; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D002570:Ceruloplasmin