Copper metabolism leading to and following acute hepatitis in LEC rats

The accumulation process of copper (Cu) in the liver and the following metabolic disorder of Cu were examined in LEC rats, a mutant strain which accumulates Cu with age and shows spontaneous acute hepatitis and/or hepatoma. Cu concentration in the liver of female rats was approximately 220 micrograms/g liver at 2 weeks of age, decreased to 100 micrograms/g liver at 4-6 weeks, and then started to increase with age linearly to the highest concentration of 250 micrograms/g liver at 16 weeks. Although the Cu level expressed by concentration (microgram/g liver) decreased during weaning, it increased linearly with age when it was expressed by content (mg/liver), indicating a constant and preferential accumulation of Cu in the liver. Cu concentration stopped increasing at 16 weeks in the liver, followed by a sudden decrease to 1/2 the highest level. Biological markers (serum lactate dehydrogenase and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase activities) for liver damage started to increase, together with the appearance of signs of jaundice, when Cu attained the highest concentration. Distributions of Cu and zinc (Zn) in the supernatant fraction of the liver indicated that both metals were mostly distributed to metallothionein (MT) and, to a small extent, to superoxide dismutase on a gel filtration column throughout the course of the experiments. Serum Cu concentration started to increase in a form of ceruloplasmin, together with serum marker enzyme activities for liver damage. Cu concentration in the kidneys also started to increase after the increase of serum Cu. The results indicate that Cu accumulates in the form of MT in the liver of LEC rats to a maximum level of approximately 250 micrograms/g liver, and then decreases suddenly with the onset of acute hepatitis. The maximum level seems to be related to the capacity of MT synthesis, and acute hepatitis is assumed to occur when Cu accumulates beyond the capacity. Serum Cu started to increase, from the abnormally low level, when the metal accumulated beyond the capacity of MT synthesis in the liver, and it was partly reabsorbed by the kidneys and the rest was excreted into urine. Changes in iron and zinc levels were determined and discussed in relation to those of Cu.