title: Development of the stable isotope tracer approach for studies of copper turnover in the rat and mouse.
abstract: The stable isotope tracer approach was explored for long-term investigations of copper turnover in the adult rat and mouse, with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for isotope measurements. The isotopic measurement method permitted precision and accuracy of <1.0%, with an overall sample blank of <0.05 microg copper. Rats were fed a copper-deficient diet and deionized water with (+Cu) or without (-Cu) copper (20 microg/ml). Both groups underwent a single-day replacement of drinking water with 20 microg/ml of (65)Cu. Compared with the baseline isotope ratio ((65)Cu/(63)Cu) of 0.462 +/- 0.002, blood plasma ratios for the +Cu group on days 2, 7, and 14 postdosing were 0.702 +/- 0.021, 0.557 +/- 0.004, and 0.474 +/- 0.001, respectively. The corresponding data for liver were 1.652 +/- 0.018, 0.560 +/- 0.005, and 0.482 +/- 0.001, respectively. For the -Cu group, respective plasma ratios were 1.580 +/- 0.04. 0.917 +/- 0.02, and 0.664 +/- 0.01 for days 2, 7, and 14 postdosing, and the ratios for liver were 0.987 +/- 0.02, 0.876 +/- 0.04, and 0.739 +/- 0.03. Mice previously made copper deficient to varying degrees were given a single-day replacement with the label. When the 24-hour postdosing isotope ratios in the livers of these mice were correlated with the activity of plasma ceruloplasmin, a negative correlation (r = -0.85) was observed. Isotope enrichment in both rats and mice was greater in the copper-deficient animals compared with the controls.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nutrition Research Center, Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janghorbani
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Prohaska