S. Hartiti et al., COPPER MALABSORPTION AFTER INTESTINAL RESECTION IN RATS - EFFECTS OF CHOLECALCIFEROL AND ASCORBIC-ACID, Annals of nutrition & metabolism, 39(4), 1995, pp. 227-233
Dietary modifications can partly compensate for the alterations in cop
per homeostasis caused by distal intestinal resection, by improving bi
liary function. We studied the effects of resecting 50% of the distal
small intestine (DSI) on copper status in rats fed three semisynthetic
diets (basal diet, and basal diet with cholecalciferol or ascorbic ac
id). Intestinal resection significantly decreased the digestive (appar
ent digestibility coefficient; ADC) and metabolic utilization (balance
) of copper 1 month after surgery. However, the supplementation of the
basal diet with cholecalciferol attenuated the negative impact of sur
gery, leading to small differences in Cu ADC and Cu balance between tr
ansected and resected rats. Ascorbic acid also enhanced copper retenti
on. Copper status was not as markedly affected by intestinal resection
as digestive utilization 1 month after the operation. The beneficial
effects of cholecalciferol and ascorbic acid at the digestive and meta
bolic levels suggest ways to lessen the impact of intestinal resection
, and to avoid possible long-term postabsorptive alterations in copper
distribution.