COMPARATIVE ASPECTS OF COPPER METABOLISM AS REFLECTED BY THE COMPOSITION OF ANIMAL TISSUES

(Major professor) An extensive review of the literature dealing with the role of copper in nutrition has been made; much emphasis has particularly been placed upon some of the "comparative " aspects of copper meta-bolism in various species. A study of the comparative copper metabolism of three strains of rats and of golden hamsters was made at two levels of dietary copper. For this purpose low- copper basal diets were supplemented with 10 ppm of copper. Growth rates and food intakes did not appear to be significantly affected over eight week periods. All types of animals used showed impaired tissue copper status on the basal diets. Also affected were hemoglobin values and hair coats. Blood, liver and hair copper values rose to essentially normal levels in response to copper supplementation. Depigmentation of hair coats and alo-pecia likewise responded to copper supplementation. Hair copper levels appear to furnish a useful index of copper status in the several /-/ / l = = ' Wiz- n / types of animals used. These results suggest the need for additional studies with other strains available in this laboratory