FSH, TSH, T3 and T4 changes in relation to plasma copper and zinc alterations during D-penicillamine administration in female Wistar rats

Tsanadis, George; Sotiriadis, Alexandros; Vezyraki, Patra; Kalfakakou, Vasiliki; Zikopoulos, Konstantinos; Dalkalitsis, Nicolaos; Evangelou, Angelos; Stefos, Theodor

« Previous Next »Nutrition Research
Volume 23, Issue 1 , Pages 111-116, January 2003

FSH, TSH, T3 and T4 changes in relation to plasma copper and zinc alterations during D-penicillamine administration in female Wistar rats

George Tsanadis
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +306510 99609.
Alexandros Sotiriadis
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Patra Vezyraki
- Experimental Physiology Laboratory, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Vasiliki Kalfakakou
- Experimental Physiology Laboratory, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Konstantinos Zikopoulos
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Nicolaos Dalkalitsis
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Angelos Evangelou
- Experimental Physiology Laboratory, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Theodor Stefos
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

Received 19 December 2001; received in revised form 15 August 2002; accepted 18 August 2002.

Abstract

Zinc and copper are considered to antagonize each other in several organs, while they play a significant role in the regulation and function of many systems. D-penicillamine was administered to 19 female Wistar rats for 68 days, 1 g/d/kg B.W. Plasma copper and zinc levels, as well as serum T3, T4, TSH and FSH were measured at days 50, 53, 54, 58, 62 and 68. Copper concentration presented a significant decrease. Zinc showed an initial increase by day 54, followed by a subsequent decrease. FSH levels decreased, presenting a pattern identical with that of copper. T3 and —especially— T4 alterations were similar to that of zinc and copper, whereas TSH alterations were inverse to them. It is concluded that copper and zinc alterations, induced by d-penicillamine administration, can significantly affect pituitary sex hormones (TSH) and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in rats.

Keywords: Wistar rats, Copper, D-penicillamine, Zinc, FSH, T3, T4, TSH