Levels and distribution of zinc, copper, magnesium, and calcium in rats fed different levels of dietary zinc.

Effects of altered dietary zinc on levels of zinc, copper, magnesium, and calcium in organ and peripheral tissues were studied. When rats fed a zinc-deficient diet (1.3 μg Zn/g) for 28 d were compared with rats fed a control diet (37.5 μg Zn/g), levels of zinc were slightly lower in plasma, hair, and skin and 50% lower in femur and pancreas, whereas the levels of copper were higher in all tissue except plasma. Magnesium levels were higher than controls in the heart and lower in the spleen, whereas the calcium levels were lower in plasma, lung, spleen, kidney, and skin and strikingly higher in brain, hair, and femur. When rats fed a zinc-supplemented diet (1.0 mg Zn/g) were compared to the same conrols, levels of zinc in these were higher in all organs and peripheral tissues studied, except heart, lung, and liver; copper levels were higher in liver, kidney, and spleen; magnesium levels were significantly higher in the spleen, but were little affected in other tissues, although calcium levels were higher in pancreas, spleen, kidney, and skin and lower in plasma and hair. These data indicate that overall copper organ and peripheral tissue levels are affected inversely, and zinc and calcium levels directly, by zinc nutriture.