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Influence of Level of Dietary Copper on Weight Gain, Hematology and Liver Copper and Iron Storage of Young Pigs

Department of Animal Science, New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; New York State College of Veterinary Medicine; and U. S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850

Thirty-four weanling Yorkshire pigs were used in two experiments to determine the effect of dietary Fe and Cu levels on growth, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), plasma ceruloplasmin and plasma and liver Cu, Fe and Zn. A level of 10 ppm Cu in a semipurified diet containing dried skim milk, glucose, cornstarch, corn oil, cellulose powder and vitamins and minerals produced faster growth and greater feed consumption than levels of 2 or 250 ppm Cu. Pigs fed a diet containing 250 ppm Cu developed severe microcytic hypochromic anemia (6 g hemoglobin/100 ml blood) by week 5, while hemoglobin of pigs fed 2 ppm or 10 ppm Cu remained relatively constant throughout the 9-week experiment (9 to 10 g/100 ml). Plasma ceruloplasmin was not affected by 250 ppm Cu, but was significantly reduced beginning at week 4 by 2 ppm Cu in the diet. RBC was significantly depressed by either 2 or 250 ppm Cu when compared to RBC for pigs fed 10 ppm Cu. MCV, MCH and MCHC were not affected by the diet containing 2 ppm Cu but MCV and MCH were significantly reduced in pigs fed 250 ppm Cu. Plasma and liver Cu were significantly decreased by 2 ppm Cu and significantly increased by 250 ppm Cu when compared to values in plasma and liver of pigs fed 10 ppm Cu. Plasma and liver Fe were reduced at 2 ppm Cu and at 250 ppm Cu in the diet. Plasma and liver Zn were not significantly affected by dietary Cu level. In a factorially arranged experiment with 20 or 100 ppm of dietary Fe and 10 or 250 ppm dietary Cu, body weight gain, hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC, MCV, MCH, MCHC were significantly reduced by 250 ppm Cu. The mean for all parameters above (except RBC) was lower in the 20 ppm Fe-250 ppm Cu group than in all other groups, suggesting a protective effect of high Fe on the anemia induced by added Cu. No gross or histopathological changes were observed, aside from the anemia. It is concluded that the microcytic hypochromic anemia observed in pigs fed 250 ppm Cu is the result of changes in Fe utilization.

KEY WORDS: • copper • hematology • iron

¹ Present address: Cargill Research Farm. Elk River, Minnesota 55330.

² Clinical Pathology Section, New York State Veterinary College, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850.

³ U. S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850.

⁴ Department of Veterinary Pathology, New York State Veterinary College, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850.

Manuscript received 13 October 1972.