Enhancement of tetrathiomolybdate-induced biliary copper excretion in sheep by general anaesthesia and the effect on copper excretion in urine and bile

To determine whether copper removed from the liver by tetrathiomolybdate (ttm) but not excreted in bile, is excreted in saliva or urine, the effect of an intravenous injection of 100 mg of ttm, as ammonium tetrathiomolybdate, on copper excretion by these routes was measured in conscious sheep and sheep maintained under general anaesthesia. During 4·5 hours the total amount of copper excreted in bile in the untreated, conscious animal was0·52± 0·04 μmol (mean ± se). A dose of 100 mg ttm increased excretion by an average of 11·7-fold to 6·06 ± 0·29 μmol. Under halothane or barbiturate general anaesthesia copper excretion was increased 3·4-fold to 1·78 ± 0·30 μmol. In anaesthetised sheep 100 mg TTM produced a 40·7-fold increase to 21·18 ± 0·95 μmol. Neither anaesthesia nor ttm caused any increase in copper excretion in saliva or urine.