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Nutrient Interactions and Toxicity

Copper Deficiency Reduces Iron Absorption and Biological Half-Life in Male Rats^1,2

U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, ND 58203

³To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: preeves{at}gfhnrc.ars.usda.gov.

Dietary copper deficiency (CuD) in rats leads to iron (Fe) deficiency anemia. Is this because CuD reduces Fe absorption? Fe absorption in CuD rats was determined by feeding diets labeled with ⁵⁹Fe and using whole-body counting (WBC) to assess the amount retained over time. Two groups, each with 45 male weanling rats, were fed an AIN-93G diet low in Cu (<0.3 mg/kg; CuD) or one containing adequate Cu (5.0 mg/kg; CuA). At intervals over the next 42 d, 5 rats per group were killed and blood was drawn to determine hematocrit, hemoglobin, and other indicators of Fe status. At d 7 and 25, 5 rats per group were fed 1.0 g of their respective diets that had been labeled with ⁵⁹Fe. Retained ⁵⁹Fe was monitored for 10 d by WBC; then rats were killed and ⁵⁹Fe was measured in various organs. Signs of Fe deficiency, such as low hemoglobin, hematocrit, and RBC count, were evident in CuD rats by d 14. At d 7, CuD rats absorbed 90% as much Fe as CuA rats (P > 0.20), but at d 25, CuD rats absorbed only 50% as much as CuA rats (P < 0.001). In the study beginning at d 7, the biological half-life (BHL) of ⁵⁹Fe in CuD rats was less (P < 0.02) than that in CuA rats [geometric mean (–SEM, +SEM); 75(62,91) d vs. 175(156,195) d]. In the study beginning at d 25, the BHL was again less (P < 0.02) in the CuD rats than in the CuA rats [33(23,49) d for CuD and 157(148,166) d for CuA]. Apparently, the route of Fe loss in the CuD rats was through the gut. At d 16 and 34, CuD rats lost 4 to 5 times more (P < 0.01) ⁵⁹Fe in the feces in a 24-h period than the CuA rats. Also, ⁵⁹Fe in the duodenal mucosa of CuD rats was 100% higher (P < 0.01) than in CuA rats. These findings suggest that Fe deficiency anemia in CuD male rats is caused at least in part by reductions in Fe absorption and retention.

KEY WORDS: • copper • iron • absorption • biological half-life • rats

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