Histochemical localization and concentration of copper released from a CuIUD in the endometria of rabbits

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry and histochemistry have been employed to study the content and localization of copper released from a CuIUD in the endometrium of rabbits bearing the copper device for 30 days. The released copper was mainly accumulated in the luminal and glandular epithelial cytoplasm. However, if the succession of the epithelia was imperfect due to the impairment by the device, copper could be detected in the stroma cells, which appeared to be neutrophilic leukocytes or lymphocytes. The mean concentration of copper in the uterine tissue of the CuIUD-bearing horn (82.24 micrograms/g dry weight) was significantly higher than that of the contralateral one (14.48 micrograms/g dry weight), and also tended to be higher than that of the horn bearing the stainless steel device (32.97 micrograms/g dry weight) and its contralateral horn (18.03 micrograms/g dry weight).