[Changes in trace-element concentrations after intravenous injection of an essential trace-element preparation for...

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of intravenous injection of an essential trace-element preparation (TE-5) on iron, zinc, copper and manganese concentrations, and blood biochemical and hematological parameters in rats. The rats were treated by intravenous injection of TE-5 for 7 days and the following results were obtained: 1) Neither a 0.04 nor a 0.4 ml/kg/day injection of TE-5 affected the iron, zinc, copper and manganese concentrations in tissues. 2) At a higher dose (1.2 ml/kg/day), iron concentrations in liver and spleen, zinc concentrations in liver, kidney, tibia and plasma, copper concentrations in heart, kidney and whole blood, and manganese concentrations in brain, heart, spleen, kidney, femoral muscle, tibia and whole blood increased. 3) At the highest does (4 ml/kg/day), all rats died and iron, zinc, copper and manganese concentrations in tissues increased remarkably. 4) With injections of TE-5 (0.04-1.2 ml/kg/day), hemoglobin, hematocrit, alkaline phosphatase activity and blood urea nitrogen decreased slightly. These results suggest that iron, zinc, copper and manganese concentrations, and blood biochemical and hematological parameters are maintained at doses up to 0.4 ml/kg/day of TE-5, but that doses higher than that destroy homeostasis.