The intrahepatic and intracellular distribution of copper following chronic administration of the metal in the diet

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Abstract
A histochemical and electron microscopic study of the liver in rats fed a diet containing excess amounts of copper was made to demonstrate the intrahepatic, intralobular and intracellular distribution of the metal.Histochemically copper was demonstrated first at the periphery of the hepatic lobuleand appeared throughout the lobule as the amount of metal increased. Within the hepaticcell copper was demonstrated in the pericanalicular cytoplasm. As the amount of metal in the liver increased occasional perinuclear caps or plaques were formed. Hematoxylin and eosin stained sections of livers with high copper content differed from normal by the presence of light brown pigment. Copper was demonstrated histochemically in the spleen and kidneys of copper fed animals as well as in the liver.Electron microscopic studies of the hepatic cells from copper fed rats revealed numerous irregular dense bodies and pigment granules in the pericanalicular cytoplasm. The dense bodies were enclosed by a single membrane and contained granular material. The appearance of these pericanalicular bodies was associated with loss of histochemical acidphosphatase activity.