Effects of copper on the expression of metal transporters in human intestinal Caco‐2 cells

Copper is an essential dietary trace metal, however the mechanisms involved in intestinal copper uptake are unclear. Two putative copper transporters are expressed in Caco‐2 cells, the divalent metal transporter (DMT1) and copper transporter (Ctr1). Our data demonstrate that copper could compete with iron for uptake via DMT1 and that DMT1 protein and mRNA expression were decreased following exposure (24 h) to high copper. Expression of Ctr1, which acts as a copper transporter in transfected cell lines, was unaffected by copper treatment. Interestingly, exposure to copper increased iron efflux from Caco‐2 cells and up regulated IREG1 (iron‐regulated mRNA) expression.