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Alteration of Pancreatic Enzyme Activities in Small Intestine of Rats Fed a High Fructose, Low Copper Diet

Charles G. Lewis^*, Meira Fields, Neal Craft, Chao-Yi Yang^* and Sheldon Reiser^*

^* Carbohydrate Nutrition Laboratory Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, DC 20007 Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705

This study describes the progressive effects on pancreatic enzyme activities from washings of the small intestine of rats fed diets containing either 62% starch (S) or fructose (F), with 0.6 mg copper/kg diet (-Cu) or 6.0 mg copper/kg diet (+Cu) from 21 to 61 d of age. Hepatic copper concentration of the copper-deficient groups was 50% of that of the copper-supplemented groups. Body and relative pancreatic weights were lower in the F - Cu dietary group than in any other group. Relative liver weight was significantly higher in the fructose dietary groups than in the starch dietary groups. There were significant carbohydrate (CHO) x week and Cu x week interactions for luminal amylase activities and the CHO ¢ Cu x week interaction was significant for luminal lipase and trypsin activities. The lowest enzyme activities were observed in the F - Cu-fed rats. The CHO x week interaction was significant for chymotrypsin with the lowest enzyme activities in the fructose-fed rats. It appears that high dietary fructose and low dietary copper interact to produce greatly reduced pancreatic enzyme activities in small intestinal washings. We speculate that subsequent digestive and absorptive abnormalities during a period of rapid growth may account for the severe morbidity and mortality in copper-deficient, fructose-fed rats.

KEY WORDS: • copper deficiency • exocrine pancreas • fructose • pancreatic enzymes

Manuscript received 16 September 1986. Revision accepted 21 April 1987.