Determination of a copper requirement to support gestation and lactation for the female albino rat.

Confirmed pregnant female albino rats were fed a purified diet containing 3, 6, 9 or 12 ppm copper throughout gestation and lactation in order to determine a copper requirement for one generation. A diet containing 6 ppm copper was found to meet the biochemical needs for rats during gestation, but the combined stress of gestation plus lactation raised the dietary requirement to 9 ppm copper. Evidence to support these conclusions included measurements of serum copper concentration, serum ceruloplasmin activity, liver iron concentration, milk copper concentration and pup liver copper concentration. The results of these studies suggests that the current National Research Council recommendation of 5 ppm does not maximize the copper status of first generation off-spring in rats.