Harmful effect of administration of copper on LEC rats.

When four male LEC rats aged 80 days old were given 3.0 mg/kg of Cu once every day for 3 days, all rats showed severe jaundice, and two of them died within 48 hr after the final dose. In Fischer rats given Cu, jaundice or death was not found. With the injection of Cu, the Cu metabolism of Fischer and LEC rats showed different responses. In particular, the concentration of hepatic Cu increased only slightly in LEC rats. Furthermore, LEC rats did not respond to the release of ceruloplasmin to the blood and of Cu to the bile. These results suggest that Cu was very dangerous for LEC rats because of its gross accumulation over the level of homeostasis.