Studies on copper metabolism. IV. The influence of copper on the absorption of iron.

In a previous paper in this series (l), evidence was presented that the absorption of iron from the gastrointestinal tract of swine deficient in copper is markedly reduced. This conclusion rests, in part, on the observation that in copper-deficient pigs fed the same quantity of either natural or radioiron for the same period of time as litter mate controls there was less iron absorbed, natural or isotopic, by the copper-deficient animals as indicated by the amount of iron in the blood, liver, kidney, spleen, and heart. It is generally recognized that the extent of iron absorption can be dermined most accurately and reliably by measuring the total body content of radioiron following the oral administration of the isotope (2). The observations in swine, referred to above, are subject to criticism because, for obvious technical reasons, the total body content of the isotope could not be measured. The purpose of the present paper is to record the results of studies on the total body radioiron of male albino rats fed radioiron and different amounts of copper by mouth. A preliminary report of this work has been published (3).