Elevated body zinc in rats with inherited retinal dystrophy.

Carcass zinc concentrations were determined in Royal College of Surgeon (RCS) rats carrying the gene for retinal dystrophy. Analysis of zinc was undertaken on both mutant RCS (rdy/rdy) and cogenic control RCS (rdy/+) newborn male pups using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The carcass of mutant rats contained a higher concentration of zinc but not copper. A relationship between the altered zinc concentrations and subsequent retinal degeneration remains to be determined.