The changes of metabolism balance of zinc and copper in gastric juice with widely varying dietary zinc intake.

The concentrations of zinc and copper in gastric juice of humans who had widely varying dietary zinc intake were evaluated. In order to compare this with zinc and copper levels of normal dietary individuals, we also determined the zinc and copper levels in healthy individuals' plasma and in cancer patient's natural tissue, all of whom had normal diets. The correlation coefficients between zinc and copper were 0.71, 0.45, and 0.55, respectively, in gastric juice, plasma, and tissue of normal dietary subjects. Such correlation changed and was destroyed when there was a high zinc level in gastric juice. When gastric juice zinc level changed from mean value 16.8 mumol/L to 262.5 mumol/L, the correlation coefficient varied from 0.71 to -0.04, and the copper level also varied from mean value 8.96 mumol/L to 4.89 mumol/L. These findings probably give the evidence to suggest that a high zinc level will restrain the copper level and break the balance of the human body's zinc and copper metabolism.