M. Fields et Cg. Lewis, Dietary fructose but not starch is responsible for hyperlipidemia associated with copper deficiency in rats: Effect of high-fat diet, J AM COL N, 18(1), 1999, pp. 83-87
Objective: To test the hypothesis that copper deficiency in rats may be hyp
erlipidemic only when the diets consumed contain nutrients which contribute
to blood lipids such as fructose and high fat.
Methods: Weanling male Sprague Dawley rats were fed diets which contained e
ither starch or fructose as their sole carbohydrate source. The diets were
either inadequate (0.6 mu g Cu/g) or adequate (6.0 mu g Cu/g) in copper and
contained either high (300 g/kg) or low (60 g/kg) fat. At the end of the 4
th week the rats were killed. Livers were analyzed for copper content. Plas
ma was analyzed for cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.
Results: High-fat diet did not increase blood lipids in rats fed a copper-d
eficient diet containing starch. In contrast, the combination of high-fat d
iet with fructose increased blood triglycerides and fructose with copper de
ficiency resulted in a significant increases in blood cholesterol.
Conclusions: Hyperlipidemia of copper deficiency in rats is dependent on sy
nergistic effects between dietary fructose and copper deficiency and fructo
se and amount of dietary fat. Hyperlipidemia does not develop if starch is
the main source of dietary carbohydrate in a copper-deficient diet even if
a high-fat diet is fed.