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Intracellular Distribution of Copper and Zinc in Sheep: Effect of Age and Dietary Levels of the Metals^1,2,3,

Department of Poultry Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802

This study was conducted to assess the effects of age and dietary levels of copper and zinc on the intracellular distribution of these metals in sheep, the domestic species most susceptible to copper toxicity. Hepatic copper concentration was lower in newborn lambs than in 30- and 60-day old lambs and its distribution in neonates differed significantly from that in the older animals and from that observed in newborn and adult rats. Sheep previously maintained on a low-copper diet for 50 days were then fed diets containing 2.2, 11.3 or 47.0 µg Cu/g diet with and without zinc supplementation (543 or 46 µg Zn/g diet, respectively) for 60 days. Ceruloplasmin activity, total plasma copper and hematocrit were lower in zinc-supplemented sheep. Hepatic copper concentration was not reduced by zinc supplementation but was increased with each increase in dietary copper; the distribution pattern was significantly altered as hepatic copper increased. Hepatic zinc concentration and distribution were not affected by diet. Sheep fed the highest level of copper had higher copper concentrations in the mucosa of the small intestine and in kidney cortex. The concentrations of zinc in the kidney and of copper and zinc in diaphragm muscle and bile were not affected by diet.

KEY WORDS: • intracellular distribution • copper metabolism • zinc • sheep • liver

¹ Authorized for publication 19 January 1979 as Paper No. 5666 in the journal series of The Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station.

² Supported in part by Fair Funds administered by The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

³ From a thesis submitted by William W. Saylor in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

⁴ Present address: Department of Animal Science and Agricultural Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19711.

⁵ To whom reprint requests should be sent.

Manuscript received 7 May 1979.