Copper Deficiency and Immune Response in Animal Models
Summary
Copper is an indispensable trace element that acts as a cofactor for key enzymes involved in oxidative defence, energy production and neurotransmission. In animal models, dietary copper deficiency consistently leads to impaired innate and adaptive immune functions. Affected subjects display neutropenia, reduced macrophage bactericidal activity, diminished lymphocyte proliferation and altered cytokine secretion profiles. Histopathological examinations reveal demyelination in the central nervous system, hydropic degeneration in visceral organs and disruption of splenic architecture. Mechanistically, insufficient copper compromises the activity of cuproenzymes such as superoxide dismutase, thereby increasing oxidative stress and undermining pathogen clearance. These findings underscore the global significance of maintaining adequate copper nutrition in livestock and laboratory animals, with implications for translational research into human diseases associated with trace-element imbalance.
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Copper Deficiency and Immune Response in Animal Models publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in copper deficiency and immune response in animal models across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Cuproenzyme: An enzyme that requires copper as a cofactor for catalytic activity.
Neutropenia: A reduction in the number of circulating neutrophils, leading to increased infection risk.
Demeylination: Loss of the myelin sheath around nerve fibres, impairing nerve conduction.
Hydropic degeneration: Reversible cell injury characterised by intracellular fluid accumulation and swelling.
Phagocyte: A type of immune cell that engulfs and digests pathogens or debris.
References
- Relationship between copper and immunity: The potential role of copper in tumor immunity. Frontiers in Oncology (2022).
- Copper microenvironments in the human body define patterns of copper adaptation in pathogenic bacteria. PLOS Pathogens (2022).
- Study The Pathological Changes Resulting From Copper Deficiency In Awassi Sheep Organs: Jenan A.Al-Khalide , Saade Ahmed khanawe , Lela M.zake. The Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Medicine (2007).
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