Influence of iron and the sex of rats on hematological, biochemical and immunological changes during copper deficiency.

The influence of dietary iron and the sex of rats on suppressed lymphocyte functions caused by copper deficiency was examined. Male and female weanling Lewis rats were fed two concentrations of copper (0.6 or 5.6 micrograms Cu/g diet) and iron (50 or 300 micrograms Fe/g diet) for 42 d. Regardless of dietary iron concentrations, male and female rats consuming low copper diets had lower serum ceruloplasmin activity and serum and liver copper concentrations than those fed the high copper diet. However, hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were higher in copper-deficient females than in copper-deficient males and were unaffected by copper deficiency in females fed the high iron diet. Copper-deficient females also had higher serum and liver iron concentrations than copper-deficient males. Proliferation of concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated spleen lymphoid cells (SLC) was suppressed in copper-deficient males and females, but the suppression was less in the females. Thus, the primary cause of suppressed SLC proliferation in copper-deficient rats is poor copper status; poor iron status induced by copper deficiency had little influence on proliferation.