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Severe or Marginal Copper Deficiency Results in a Graded Reduction in Immune Status in Mice

Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC 20204 ^* College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-4802

From birth mice received diets containing copper at 0.5, 1, 2 or 6 mg/kg diet. At 8 wk of age they were killed and copper status and immune responsiveness were determined. Only the groups that received copper at 0.5 or 1 mg/kg showed signs of copper deficiency, such as reduced serum ceruloplasmin, hemoglobin, hematocrit and red blood cell counts and characteristic changes in organ pathology. Body and lymphoid organ weights were altered in the groups that received copper at 0.5 or 1 mg/kg. Males were more severely affected than females. A dose-related reduction in splenic T-cell subpopulations was noted in the 0.5 and 1 mg/kg groups. Responses to lipopolysaccharide challenge were reduced, and an increase in spontaneous cycling cells was noted in the groups receiving copper at 0.5 or 1 mg/kg. Only the group receiving copper at 0.5 mg/kg had increased stem cell activity; this increase was probably due to increased erythropoiesis to meet increased demands for red blood cells in this group. These data indicate that only groups receiving copper at 0.5 or 1 mg/kg in the diet were depleted and marginally depleted in copper, respectively, and that immune hyporesponsiveness differs between the depleted and marginally depleted groups.

KEY WORDS: • severe copper deficiency • marginal copper deficiency • lipopolysaccharide challenge • stem cell activity • lymphocyte subpopulations

¹ To whom correspondence should be addressed, at Division of Nutrition, HFF-265, Food and Drug Administration, 200 C St., S.W., Washington, DC 20204.

Manuscript received 23 June 1987. Revision accepted 15 March 1988.