Potential caveats of low copper

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=Low Cu might lower immunity

"Dietary copper (Cu) deficiency impairs both innate and acquired branches of
immunity. Specific roles of Cu in the activation and effector activities of
host-defense cells remain largely unknown.

 

STUDY: Copper deficiency suppresses effector activities of differentiated U937
cells. - J Nutr 2000 Jun;130(6):1536-42
-PMID: 10827206

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= Low Cu might lower immunity:

 

"candidacidal activity were significantly lower in neutrophils from rats fed diets with
less than or equal to 2.7 mg Cu/kg compared to control cells."

STUDY: Copper status and function of neutrophils are reversibly depressed in
marginally and severely copper-deficient rats. - J Nutr 1990 Dec;120(12):1700-9
- PMID: 2175782

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= Low Cu can cause abnormal blood clotting:
"Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity dropped significantly during low copper intake from 3450 to 2600 U/g hemoglobin, but did not increase during copper repletion. Platelet cytochrome c oxidase activity changed significantly (P<0.0001) from 1740 to 810 U/g protein during copper depletion, then increased to 1000 U/g protein during copper repletion. Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity responded similarly. Clotting factor VIII activity increased significantly during copper depletion",
Effects of a diet low in copper on copper-status indicators in postmenopausal women. - Am J Clin Nutr 1996 Mar;63(3):358-64

STUDY: Effects of a diet low in copper on copper-status indicators in postmenopausal women. Milne DB, Nielsen FH. - United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Center, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, ND, USA. - PMID: 8602593

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= Low Cu can cause myelodysplastic syndrome

"These two cases emphasize the importance of recognizing this [excess zinc] clinical entity, since the myelodysplastic features are completely reversible."

STUDY: Excessive zinc ingestion. A reversible cause of sideroblastic anemia and bone marrow depression. - Broun ER, Greist A, Tricot G, Hoffman R. Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202. - PMID: 2094240

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= Low Cu compromises antioxidant defense (increases oxidative stress) 

"Supplemental copper but not zinc or iron prevented the potentiation of the H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative DNA damage caused by 2,3,2-tet. These data suggest that copper deficiency compromises the antioxidant defense system of cells, thereby increasing their susceptibility to oxidative DNA damage."

 

STUDY: Effect of copper deficiency on oxidative DNA damage in Jurkat T-lymphocytes.
Pan Y, Loo G. - Free Radic Biol Med 2000 Mar 1;28(5):824-30 - Graduate Program in Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA.
- PMID: 10754279

 

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=Oxidative stress interferes with chemotherapy and apoptosis

 

"We find that H(2)O(2) inhibits the ability of 4 different chemotherapy drugs (VP-16, doxorubicin, cisplatin,
and AraC) to induce apoptosis in human Burkitt lymphoma cells. H(2)O(2) shifts the form of cell death from apoptosis to pyknosis/necrosis, which occurs after a significant delay compared with chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. It can also lower the degree of cell killing by these drugs."

 

STUDY: Oxidative stress interferes with cancer chemotherapy: inhibition of lymphoma cell apoptosis and phagocytosis. Shacter E, Williams JA, Hinson RM, Senturker S, Lee YJ. Laboratory of Immunology, Division of Therapeutic Proteins, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD, USA.