Gastric response to acute copper exposure

Early effects of acute copper exposure consist mainly of nausea and altered gastric permeability. To assess copper effects on gastric response 30 apparently healthy volunteers underwent two controlled trials receiving a solution with (10 mg Cu/l) and without (<0.01 mg Cu/l) copper sulfate after overnight fasting, in random order. Ultrasonography was chosen to follow indirectly the gastric emptying pattern for 120 min. Measurements were expressed as z scores [z= (mean-Xi)/S.D.]. Results showed that nobody presented symptoms after drinking water without added copper while 9 subjects presented nausea after receiving the 10 mg Cu/l solution. The group receiving drinking water with 10 mg Cu/l presented greater antral areas during the first 60 min of observation. Individual and mean fitted curves for antral area, calculated and compared using the linear mixed-effects model fit by REML, showed a group effect of copper on antral area over time (L. Ratio = 23.98, P < 0.0001); the effect was due to delay in decreasing antral area in the copper treated group during the first hour after ingestion. No differences were found by gender or nausea. Results show a copper effect on gastric response suggesting that acute exposure to copper in water modify the first phase of gastric emptying. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.