A kinetic model of copper metabolism in sheep

Abstract

A three-compartment model was developed to provide a simple kinetic description of the metabolism of copper in six sheep with liver copper concentrations of 433�51 ppm ( mean � SD dry weight). This was achieved by measuring the radioactivity in samples of blood, liver, urine and bile as a function of time after the intravenous administration of c. 1.4 mCi of 64Cu. Sizes of compartments, flow rates and rate constants were evaluated and validated experimentally by measuring the excretion of copper in urine and bile and its accumulation in the liver. The model postulates two separate mechanisms for the handling of copper by the liver, and biliary copper excretion was not related to total liver ..