Histochemigal Detection of Copper in the Liver from Sheep Chronically Poisoned by Copper

Continued ingestion of copper in excess of the nutritional requirement leads in all animals to its passive accumulation within the tissues, especially the liver. Up to certain levels varying greatly with the species high concentrations of copper in the liver appear to impose no physiological hardship on the animal. Above these levels there may occur a catastrophic liberation of a high proportion of the copper into the blood stream resulting in extensive hemolysis and jaundice usually followed by death. Sheep are more prone to the hemolytic crisis of chronic copper poisoning than other animal species. The hemolytic crisis of chronic copper poisoning is associated with centrolobular necrosis of the liver. The copper concentration in the liver is usually 300 p.p.m. or more (wet tissue) compared with about 50 p.p.m. in normal sheep (Simesen & Møller 1969).