title: Acute copper intoxication after a Cu-Ca EDTA injection in rats.
abstract: It has been claimed that Cu-Ca EDTA releases the Cu slowly into the blood when injected as a therapeutic agent for Cu deficiency, but when overdosing occurs, animals may die in a few hours after the injection, suggesting that Cu release is faster than expected. A total of 30 rats were divided into six equal groups and injected with Cu-Ca EDTA at 4, 6, 13, 33 or 64 mg/kg body weight, the sixth group acted as control. All rats were sacrificed 24 h later, with the exception of rats from groups 33 and 64 that died 7 and 2 h postinjection respectively. The rate of Cu transference to the liver increased linearly with the dose, from (X +/- S.E.) 14.88 +/- 3.14 in group 4, to 134.47 +/- 21.86 microg/h in group 64. Injected animals developed liver and kidney degeneration, hemorrhage and necrosis, which increased in severity with the Cu dose. Liver Cu accumulation was highest for group 13 (866.8 +/- 84.23 ppm DM), while in group 64 reached only 167.0 +/- 14.99 ppm. It is concluded that during acute Cu poisoning, the rate of transfer is responsible for the liver and kidney damage, rather than the total amount of transferred Cu to those organs, as it is the case in chronic Cu poisoning. The high rate of Cu transfer possibly surpasses the intrinsic mechanisms of Cu deposition and free Cu is left into the cell with the development of necrosis.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Nutrición Mineral, Cátedra de Fisiología, Fac. Cs. Veterinarias, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Giuliodori
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayala
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D003300:Copper / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning*; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D004492:Edetic Acid