Interaction between copper and zinc in sheep parenterally treated with zinc oxide

Changes in copper and zinc concentrations in the blood serum of sheep were studied in clinical conditions for sixty days in relation to the intramuscular application of zinc oxide at a dose of 10 mg Zn per kg liveweight; zinc oxide was administered in a developmental preparation. Serum concentrations of zinc started increasing significantly the eighth day after administration (p less than 0.01), the maximum values were found out on the twelfth day (21.19 +/- 3.89 mumol X l-1). Significantly higher concentrations of zinc in the blood serum of test sheep were observed as soon as on the eighth day (p less than 0.01), in comparison with the untreated group, and they persisted till the end of investigation (p less than 0.01). Simultaneously with the changes in serum zinc concentrations, copper metabolism was influenced when the statistically higher values of copper concentrations in the blood serum of the test group were recorded the eighth and twelfth days (p less than 0.01), in comparison with the control animals. In the remaining period, serum copper concentrations did not show any mathematical dependence and the equalization to the original values in the treated group occurred at the end of the experiment. The above-mentioned results from the sheep treated with zinc oxide refer to a possibility of influencing mutually the copper and zinc metabolism also parenterally; this could be utilized during the treatment of secondary deficiencies, or toxicosis.