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Iron Deficiency in Rats

Changes in Body and Organ Weights, Plasma Proteins, Hemoglobins, Myoglobins, and Catalase^1,2,

Institute of Marine Resources, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California

Changes in body and organ weights; plasma protein components; hemoglobins; skeletal and heart muscle myoglobins; and liver catalase were investigated in rats consuming a diet lacking in iron. Iron-deficient rats displayed gray rather than black fur, an early marked cardiomegaly, and a delayed massive splenomegaly. Total plasma protein concentration in deficient animals, 6.49 g/100 ml, was significantly greater than that of control animals, 5.58 g/100 ml. This difference was due to a higher level of ß-globulins in the deficient groups, 2.75 g/100 ml as compared with 1.80 g/100 ml in the control group. Albumin levels in deficient animals, 2.65 g/100 ml, did not differ significantly from control animals, 2.45 g/100 ml. Myoglobin concentration in hind leg muscle did not change significantly during 12 weeks of dietary iron deprivation. In weanling rats, this myoglobin concentration was 0.71 ± 0.28 mg/100 mg N, and in deficient animals at 15 weeks of age it was 0.61 ± 0.10 mg/100 mg N. During this time, however, myoglobin concentration in skeletal muscle of pair-fed control animals increased to 1.90 ± 0.31 mg/100 mg N. Heart myoglobin concentration increased in both deficient and control animals. Because of the massive increased in size, total myoglobin content of deficient hearts was much greater than that of controls. Weanling rat hearts contained an average of 0.29 mg myoglobin; after 6 weeks on the diets hearts from deficient animals contained an average of 1.43 mg myoglobin, and hearts from pair-fed controls, an average of 0.53 mg. Catalase activity did not differ in control and deficient animals. Unit activity did not change significantly during the study, but as liver size increased with age, total catalase activity of liver increased also. Heterogeneity of hemoglobin and myoglobin was demonstrated by electrophoretic separation of 4 hemoglobin fractions and 2 myoglobin fractions. However, bands from deficient animals appeared similar to those of control animals.

² Presented in part at the 6th International Congress of Nutrition, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1963.

Manuscript received 27 February 1965.