Influence of copper supplementation on blood and liver copper in cattle fed tall fescue or quackgrass.

Copper concentrations were measured in naturally Cu-deficient and Cu-supplemented yearling Hereford heifers fed tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) or quackgrass (Agropyron repens [L] Beauv.) forage. The data were used to establish a relationship between dietary Cu supplementation and accumulation of liver Cu, and to test the influence of diet and Cu supplementation on blood plasma Cu and ceruloplasmin oxidase activity. Dietary Cu supplementation was positively correlated with accumulation of liver Cu; the rate of increase in liver Cu levels diminished at high supplementation rates (liver Cu = 410.43 - 353.47 x e-.00295 x mg Cu supplement; R2 = .740), suggesting an efficient mechanism preventing fast, toxic Cu-overloading in cattle. The linear relationship (R2 = .7878) between blood plasma Cu and ceruloplasmin oxidase activity indicated that similar percentages of blood plasma Cu were present as ceruloplasmin in deficient, normal and Cu-supplemented cattle. However, the portion of plasma Cu occurring as ceruloplasmin changes significantly with type of feed. When compared with quackgrass, tall fescue not only produced rapid Cu depletion in unsupplemented cattle, but affected intermediary Cy metabolism and activity of Cu-enzyme ceruloplasmin differently at all levels of experimental Cu supplementation.