Copper and zinc levels in peripheral nerve tissues of rats with experimental carbon-disulphide neuropathy.

LuklA, E., Kotas, P., and Obrusnik, I. (1974). British JournalofIndustrial Medicine, 31, 288-291. Copper and zinc levels in peripheral nerve tissues of rats with experimental carbon-disulphide neuropathy. By means of neutron activation analysis the levels of zinc and copper in peripheral nerve tissue of two groups of rats with carbon-disulphide neuropathy were estimated. The neuropathy (diagnosed electromyographically) was evoked by inhalation of 3-6 mg CS2/litre of air (variant 1) or 2-4 mg CS2/litre of air (variant 2). Stationary Zn levels were found in control and exposed animals in both of the experimental variants, while the copper levels increased very significantly from 4-2 ± 0 3 ppm to 9 9 ± 1 7 ppm in experimental variant 1 and from 2-4 ± 0 3 ppm to 5 6 ± 0 6 ppm in variant 2. The experiments suggest that changes in metal metabolism of peripheral nerve tissue deserve attention as one of the possible pathological links in the development of carbondisulphide intoxication.