The effect of various levels of fructose in a copper-deficient diet on Cu deficiency in male rats.

The present study was designed to examine the effects of various levels of fructose in a copper-deficient diet on some of the signs of Cu deficiency in the rat. Weanling male rats were randomly assigned to one of five diets which contained 0.6 micrograms Cu/g diet and 627 g carbohydrate/kg which was (g/kg): 627 fructose (diet 100); 470 fructose, 157 starch (diet 75); 313.5 fructose, 313.5 starch (diet 50); 157 fructose, 470 starch (diet 25); or 627 starch (diet 0). Rats ate their respective diets for either 2 or 5 weeks. There was a significant linear inverse response of body-weight (P less than 0.0001), packed cell volume (P less than 0.0001) and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) activity (P less than 0.008) to increasing levels of dietary fructose and a direct linear response of plasma cholesterol (P less than 0.05) and blood urea nitrogen concentrations (P less than 0.001) to increasing levels of dietary fructose. Liver, kidney and pancreatic Cu concentrations decreased in a dose-response manner as the level of dietary fructose increased. In general, if fructose was included in the diet the signs of Cu deficiency were exacerbated in a dose-response manner.