Two studies in mice have shown no increased incidence of cancer. One of these used regular injections of copper compounds, including cupric oxide. One study of two strains of mice fed copper compounds found a varying increased incidence of reticulum cell sarcoma in males of one strain, but not the other (there was a slightly increased incidence in females of both strains). These results have not been repeated. Pathophysiology
Indian childhood cirrhosis
One manifestation of copper toxicity, cirrhosis of the liver in children (Indian childhood cirrhosis), has been linked to boiling milk in copper cookware. The Merck Manual states that recent studies suggest that a genetic defect is associated with this particular cirrhosis. Wilson disease
An inherited condition called Wilsons disease causes the body to retain copper, since it is not excreted by the liver into the bile. This disease, if untreated, can lead to brain and liver damage, and bis-choline tetrathiomolybdate is under investigation as a therapy against Wilsons disease. Menkes disease
An X-linked recessive trait that is inherited named Menkes disease causes disruption of connective tissue due to mutations in genes. If severely affected the approximate span of life is three years. One treatment used to correct the mutation is copper-histidine treatment. Alzheimers disease
Elevated free copper levels exist in Alzheimers disease, which has been hypothesized to be linked to inorganic copper consumption. Copper and zinc are known to bind to amyloid beta proteins in Alzheimers disease. This bound form is thought to mediate the production of reactive oxygen species in the brain.
Overuse of copper sulfate as an algicide has been speculated to have caused a copper poisoning epidemic on Great Palm Island in 1979. == References ==