Effect of different levels of dietary molybdenum on copper and Mo metabolism in sheep fed on high levels of Cu.

1. Distribution of copper and molybdenum was followed in the body tissues of sheep fed on high levels of Cu (82 mg Cu/sheep per d), sulphur (3.77 g S/sheep per d) and different levels of Mo (0.6 20.8, 38.4 and 58.5 mg Mo/sheep per d). 2. Liver Cu content decreased as Mo intake increased from 0.6 to 38.4 mg/d, but increased again at high intakes of Mo. With an Mo intake of 58.5 mg/d, the Cu content of liver, kidney, lung, spleen and muscle tissue was significantly higher than with an intake of 20.8 mg Mo/d. The trend of increased Cu concentrations in kidneys and plasma was already evident at an Mo intake of 38.4 mg/sheep per d. 3. High positive correlations were observed between Cu and Mo in both the kidney cortex and medulla of the sheep at the two highest Mo treatments. 4. At constant S intake, Mo concentrations in the tissues tended to increase in proportion to Mo intakes. No indication of any detrimental effect due to the accumulation of Mo in the tissues was observed. 5. It was suggested that in the presence of an abundance of Mo, Cu and S, compounds containing these minerals in metabolically unavailable forms accumulate in the body, first in the kidneys, but eventually also in the other tissues of the sheep.