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Nutrient-Gene Interactions

Iron Deficiency and Marginal Vitamin A Deficiency Affect Growth, Hematological Indices and the Regulation of Iron Metabolism Genes in Rats¹

The Graduate Program in Nutrition and the Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: acr6{at}psu.edu.

Iron deficiency and marginal vitamin A (VA) deficiency frequently coexist and affect billions of people, mostly children and women, worldwide. The effects of these micronutrient deficiencies alone and in combination on hematologic, biochemical and molecular indices of iron and VA status were investigated in a 2 x 2 randomized blocked study conducted in growing male Sprague-Dawley rats. From 3–8 wk of age, rats were fed one of four purified diets that were either adequate or restricted in iron (Fe) and adequate or marginal in VA: ⁺Fe⁺VA, 20.3 and 0.367 µg/g, respectively, denoted control diet; ^-Fe⁺VA, 3.34 and 0.405 µg/g; ⁺FeVA_m, 22.2 and 0.051 µg/g; or ^-FeVA_m, 3.03 and 0.055 µg/g. Weight-matched rats fed adequate micronutrients were included to control for possible confounding effects of Fe deficiency on growth and feed efficiency. Iron restriction reduced (P < 0.05) weight gain, feed efficiency, blood hemoglobin and hematocrit. Plasma and liver iron and plasma transferrin saturation were reduced by 50%, whereas liver transferrin mRNA and protein and transferrin receptor mRNA were elevated, as was liver ferritin light-chain protein and light-chain mRNA. Liver heavy-chain ferritin mRNA, hemopexin, ceruloplasmin and cellular retinol-binding protein mRNA were not affected by iron or VA restriction. Although marginal VA deficiency did not exacerbate indices of poor iron status during iron deficiency, iron deficiency was associated with lower plasma retinol and elevated liver VA concentrations. These results are consistent with an impaired mobilization of liver retinol during iron deficiency as well as multiple alterations in iron metabolism.

KEY WORDS: • iron deficiency • marginal vitamin A deficiency • transferrin • ferritin • rats

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