Both Hepatic and Body Iron Stores Are Increased in Dysmetabolic Iron Overload Syndrome. A Case-Control Study

Background & Aims

Hepatic iron is increased in dysmetabolic iron overload syndrome (DIOS). Whether this reflects elevated body iron stores is still debated. The study was aimed at assessing body iron stores in DIOS patients by calculating the amount of mobilized iron (AMI).

Methods

We conducted a prospective case-control study comparing AMI in 12 DIOS patients and 12 overweight normoferritinemic subjects matched on BMI and age. All participants were phlebotomized until serum ferritin dropped ≤ 50μg/L.

Results

The two groups were comparable with respect to metabolic abnormalities and differed according to serum ferritin levels only. AMI was significantly (p<0.0001) higher in DIOS (2.5g±0.7) than in controls (0.8g±0.3). No side effects were related to phlebotomies.     

铁过载对大鼠骨髓及肝脾组织的影响

目的:通过腹腔注射右旋糖酐铁建立铁过载大鼠模型,观察过量补铁对大鼠骨髓及肝脾组织的影响。方法:雄性Wistar大鼠40只随机分为:正常对照组、低剂量铁组、中剂量铁组和高剂量铁组。经隔日腹腔注射每次分别给予右旋糖酐铁0.9 mg、0.3 mg、9mg、18 mg,共干预6周。观察各组大鼠的生长发育状况并检测相关指标。结果:四组大鼠白细胞计数、红细胞计数、血红蛋白浓度以及血小板计数差异均无统计学意义(P0.05)。骨髓外铁含量分析,中、高剂量铁组大鼠骨髓基质中均出现不同程度的铁蓄积,骨髓细胞外铁含量均显著高于正常对照组(P0.05)。与正常对照组比较,中、高剂量铁组大鼠肝脏系数分别升高52%和148%(P0.05),脾脏系数分别升高56%和100%(P0.05)。与正常对照组比较,中、高剂量铁组大鼠肝组织铁分别升高154%和303%(P0.05),脾组织铁分别升高40%和127%(P0.05),血清铁含量分别升高35%和165%(P0.05)。结论:过量补铁(腹腔给药)可使大鼠骨髓基质出现铁沉积,肝脏和脾脏脏器系数及其组织铁含量显著增加,导致铁在机体内过量蓄积。因此临床铁补充应防止过量长期用药。     

Iron(III) complexation of Desferrioxamine B encapsulated in apoferritin

The dissociation of apoferritin into subunits at pH 2 followed by its reformation at pH 7.4 in presence of Desferrioxamine B (DFO) gives rise to a solution containing three DFO molecules trapped within the apoferritin (Apo-ferritin:DFO) and DFO molecules outside it. The untrapped DFO molecules in the solution were removed from Apo-ferritin:DFO by exhaustive dialysis until a negligible concentration was confirmed. The addition of Fe(III) to the dialyzed solution of Apo-ferritin:DFO resulted in the appearance of an orange-red color. The UV-Vis spectrum of this solution shows the characteristic absorption of the [DFOFe] complex centered at 425 nm. Following a similar procedure as for DFO, only one molecule of [DFOFe] was trapped in the apoferritin. The above results demonstrate the possibility of encapsulating a large molecule such as DFO in the apoferritin and, more interestingly, the ability of these DFO-encapsulated molecules to react with Fe(III) to give rise to an encapsulated [DFOFe] complex within the apoferritin.     

Impaired Iron Transport Activity of Ferroportin 1 in Hereditary Iron Overload

To investigate the functional significance of mutations in Ferroportin that cause hereditary iron overload, we directly measured the iron efflux activity of the proteins expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We found that wild type and mutant Ferroportin molecules (A77D, N144H, Q248H and V162Δ) were all expressed at the plasma membrane at similar levels. All mutations caused significant reductions in ⁵⁹Fe efflux compared to wild type but all retained some residual transport activity. A77D had the strongest effect on ⁵⁹Fe efflux (remaining activity 9% of wild-type control), whereas the N144H mutation retained the highest efflux activity (42% of control). The Q248H and V162Δ mutations were intermediate between these values. Co-injection of mutant and wild-type mRNAs revealed that the A77D and N144H mutations had a dominant negative effect on the function of the WT protein.     

Alleviation Effect of Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins on Neuronal Apoptosis in Rats with Iron Overload

Biological Trace Element Research - We aimed to evaluate the effect of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPCs) on neuronal apoptosis, particularly through their roles in maintaining divalent mineral...     

Ferritin in the Serum of Normal Subjects and Patients with Iron Deficiency and Iron Overload

The concentration of ferritin in serum gives a quantitative measure of the amount of storage iron in normal subjects and those with iron deficiency or overload. The mean level in normal men is 69 ng/ml, compared with 35 ng/ml in normal women. A concentration below 10 ng/ml is associated with a low transferrin saturation and iron-deficient erythropoiesis.     

铁过负荷对大鼠眼、泪腺中铁血黄素的沉积及转铁蛋白表达的影响

通过饲喂高铁饲料、腹腔注射或静脉注射多糖铁复合物的方法复制SD(Sprague Dawley)大鼠(Rattus norregicus)的铁过负荷模型。取动物的眼和泪腺组织染色显微观察发现,静脉注射多糖铁复合物大鼠眼巩膜、虹膜、睫状体、脉络膜间质细胞及泪腺小叶间结缔组织中巨噬细胞铁血黄素沉积明显;而腹腔注射多糖铁复合物或饲喂高铁饲料大鼠的眼和泪腺中铁血黄素沉积较少或未见沉积。不同方法造成的铁过负荷大鼠眼和泪腺组织中均未见转铁蛋白的表达。结果表明,铁血黄素在眼及泪腺的沉着很可能是眼晶状体混浊和眼底血管样条纹产生的主要原因。     

肝杀菌肽与酒精性肝病相关的铁过剩

酒精性肝病是一种由于过量食用酒精而导致的肝损伤性疾病,该病往往伴发肝脏铁过剩而出现铁沉积,进而导致肝纤维化甚至肝硬化而威胁生命.最新研究发现,酒精性肝病造成的铁过剩是由于一种铁调节激素肝杀菌肽的浓度异常所致,乙醇代谢可以减少肝杀菌肽在肝内的表达,肝杀菌肽浓度降低可使血清铁升高而引发肝脏铁沉积,这项研究为预防和治疗酒精性肝病的相关并发症带来了希望.     

Influence of the Iron Chelating Agent Desferrioxamine on two Rat Inflammatory Models

The carrageenin rat paw edema was dose-dependently inhibited by i.v. and i.m. administration of desferrioxamine, a specific iron chelating agent. Therefore, iron-catalyzed formation of free radicals might be involved in this acute inflammatory reaction. In contrast, no antiinflammatory activity of desferrioxamine could be seen in rat adjuvant arthritis, a model of subacute and chronic inflammation.     

Effects of Iron Overload on Ascorbic Acid Metabolism

Studies of the ascorbic acid status in two subjects with idiopathic haemochromatosis and in 12 with transfusional siderosis showed that all had decreased levels of white cell ascorbic acid. The urinary excretion of ascorbic acid was also diminished in those subjects in whom such measurements were made. The administration of ascorbic acid was followed by only a small rise in the urinary ascorbic acid output, while the oxalic acid levels (measured in two subjects) showed a significant rise. These findings resemble those described in siderotic Bantu, and support the thesis that increased iron stores lead to irreversible oxidation of some of the available ascorbic acid.