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Copper Supplementation Effects on Erythrocyte Superoxide Dismutase Activities in Middle Aged Men and Women
Author(s) -
DiSilvestro Robert A,
Joseph Elizabeth,
Zhang Wenyi,
Kim Young Min,
Sun Ni
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a723-c
Subject(s) - superoxide dismutase , copper , ceruloplasmin , copper deficiency , medicine , endocrinology , chemistry , placebo , population , vitamin c , enzyme , biochemistry , alternative medicine , environmental health , organic chemistry , pathology
Based on the current RDAs for copper, which fall below older recommendations, fewer people show inadequate copper intake than previously proposed. However, 8 week copper supplementation (2 mg copper as copper glycinate per day), in middle aged adults (N=35), consistently raised values for erythrocyte activities of the copper enzyme superoxide dismutase. Placebo had no effect. The copper supplementation‐induced changes in erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activities correlated with changes in two plasma copper enzyme activities, ceruloplasmin and diamine oxidase. These results suggested that in this population, copper intake was not typically high enough to maximize copper enzyme activities. A number of possible practical health consequences of this behavior were investigated, but none of the measures were altered by copper supplementation. For example, copper supplementation did not significantly alter plasma cholesterol related parameters, though changes in HDL cholesterol correlated with final superoxide dismutase values in both the copper and placebo groups. Copper supplementation did not alter C‐reactive protein, homocysteine, and LDL oxidation based on ELISA analysis. LDL oxidation, when measured by lag time ex vivo, had previously shown a relationship to copper status. Values for the ELISA measure may be slow to change since they were not affected by 8 weeks of 400 IU/day of vitamin E supplementation (plasma vitamin E did rise). A number of previous studies had shown vitamin E supplementation to affect LDL oxidation lag time. In summary, copper supplementation can readily raise copper enzyme activity readings in middle aged adults, but the practical health consequences remain unclear. (Research was supported by USDA Grant 35200‐14111 to RAD).