Failure to confirm abnormal copper utilization in crinkler (cr) mice.

A number of aspects of copper utilization have been studied in crinkled mice, the symptoms of which have been claimed to result from copper deficiency. In none of these aspects has any evidence been found to support this contention.1. Copper concentrations in liver, kidney, and brain, and serum ceruloplasmin oxidase activity were normal incr/cr mice.2. Copper concentrations in cultured lung fibroblasts and kidney epithelial cells derived fromcr/cr mice were normal.3. The elution profile of bound copper by gel-filtration chromatography of liver homogenates was the same in +/? andcr/cr mice.4. Neither maternal nor direct copper supplementation resulted in any reduction in mortality ofcr/cr mice.5. No increase in the concentration of hair sulfhydryl groups was apparent incr/cr mice.6. Histological studies revealed that the thin skin incr/cr mice owed to a reduction of the cutis; the epidermal and dermal layers were of normal thickness.7. Lysyl oxidase activity was normal in extracts of skin from 6-day-oldcr/cr mice, and in the culture medium ofcr/cr lung fibroblasts.8. Chemical analysis of brain myelin from 21- and 60-day-oldcr/cr mice showed no differences from +/? mice.