Studies on the toxicity of copper. I. The toxic action of copper
in vivo
and
in vitro
With the object of throwing light upon the brain damage found in patients with Wilson’s disease (hepato-lenticular degeneration) due to the accumulation of copper, the effect of Cu 2+ has been investigated in pigeons. Subarachnoid injections of Cu 2+ (10 to 25 µ g) led to rapid onset of convulsions and death. These concentrations of Cu 2+ inhibited pigeon and rat b rain mitochondria; more organized tissue breis or slices showed no significant inhibition of oxygen up take at Cu +2 concentration inducing convulsions in vivo . Studies with radioactive copper ( 64 Cu) showed that the injected copper was widely distributed in the brain, though maximal near the site of injection. Centrifugation showed a high specific activity in the ATP -ase-rich microsomal fraction. Thorium in concentrations similar to Cu 2+ was not toxic. From this we suggest that the Cu 2+ does not alter the charge on some membrane surface. Since the effect of the copper is immediate, and since it does not affect respiration of slices in these low concentrations, we conclude that it is exerting its convulsive effect directly upon the cell surfaces.