Trace elements status of fetuses from ewes fed a copper-deficient ration

Tissue samples were taken from 130-day-old fetuses from ewes fed a synthetic diet low in copper (Cu), a Cu-supplemented synthetic diet, or a roughage diet adequate in Cu content. The fetal liver and kidney Cu concentrations were substantially lower when the dams were fed the Cu-deficient ration than when they were fed the Cu-supplemented ration or natural diet. Differences between dams' rations in Cu concentrations for the other 3 fetal tissues (spleen, heart, and lung) were small. Differences among groups in fetal tissue iron concentrations were not significant at the P greater than 0.05 level. Concerning zinc concentrations, there were significant interactions between dams' diets and fetal tissues, mainly attributable to differences between rations in liver, heart, and kidney zinc levels. For manganese, the difference among dams' rations and among fetal tissues were significant at the 1% level, but the interactions of ration x tissue were also significant. Heart and spleen manganese concentrations were substantially higher in the fetuses from dams given Cu-deficient diet than in fetuses from dams fed Cu-adequate diet.