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Cardiovascular Lesions Associated with Experimental Copper Deficiency in the Rabbit¹

Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Copper deficiency was induced in Dutch Belted rabbits by feeding from weaning a milk-sucrose diet supplemented with vitamins, certain minerals and amino acids and fed in an agar gel form. Reduced growth, lowered hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, and achromotrichia, alopecia and dermatosis were observed in deficient rabbits. Grossly, calcific nodules were observed in the heart of some deficient animals. Histologically, the myocardial lesions consisted of necrosis of cardiac muscle fibers with dystrophic calcification, but without a significant inflammatory reaction. Elastin defects consisted of loss of elastic fibers and calcification and fragmentation of the internal elastic membrane in muscular and elastic arteries. Calcification of the media was observed in some muscular arteries. Lesions were not observed in the coronary arteries. Penicillamine and British anti-Lewisite did not significantly accentuate the copper deficiency. However, supplementation of a diet containing 3 ppm copper with 1% ascorbic acid apparently induced a copper deficiency producing signs and lesions observed in animals made deficient by feeding a diet containing 2 ppm copper. There was little evidence of a deficiency in the rabbits receiving 3 ppm copper. These preliminary studies suggest that the copper requirement of the rabbit is approximately 3 ppm.

Manuscript received 17 June 1965.