Biomaterial Database

Iron metabolism in genetically obese (ob/ob) mice. 1988

M L Failla, and M L Kennedy, and M L Chen

Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705.

Several reports in the clinical literature suggest that obese children may be at risk for developing iron deficiency. Here the absorption, retention, tissue distribution and tissue levels of iron were compared in lean (+/?) and obese (ob/ob) C57BL/6J mice to examine the impact of obesity on the iron status of this animal model. Obese mice absorbed and retained approximately twice as much 59Fe as lean mice after receiving a solution containing 1 mumol iron per os. This difference was independent of age, severity of obesity and mass of the gastrointestinal tract. Obese mice fed ad libitum had higher levels of 59Fe in blood and fat pads, but lower amounts of 59Fe in the skeletal-muscular system, than lean mice 6 d after subcutaneous injection of 1 mumol of the metal. At least 30% of carcass 59Fe was present in the liver of obese and lean mice 6 d after injection. Despite significantly lower concentrations of iron in liver and bone, blood hemoglobin and hematocrit were significantly higher in obese mice fed ad libitum than in lean mice at 10 wk of age. Plasma iron and transferrin were not affected by chronic obesity. Although several characteristics of iron metabolism differed in obese and lean mice, the results indicate that ob/ob mice were not iron deficient when fed a diet containing an adequate level of this micronutrient. The increased absorption of iron by obese mice probably represents an adaptive response that is required to supply additional micronutrient for the expanded blood volume in these animals.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007501	Iron	A metallic element with atomic symbol Fe, atomic number 26, and atomic weight 55.85. It is an essential constituent of HEMOGLOBINS; CYTOCHROMES; and IRON-BINDING PROTEINS. It plays a role in cellular redox reactions and in the transport of OXYGEN.	Iron-56,Iron 56
D008297	Male		Males
D008820	Mice, Obese	Mutant mice exhibiting a marked obesity coupled with overeating, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, marked insulin resistance, and infertility when in a homozygous state. They may be inbred or hybrid.	Hyperglycemic Mice,Obese Mice,Mouse, Hyperglycemic,Mouse, Obese,Hyperglycemic Mouse,Mice, Hyperglycemic,Obese Mouse
D009751	Nutritional Requirements	The amounts of various substances in food needed by an organism to sustain healthy life.	Dietary Requirements,Nutrition Requirements,Dietary Requirement,Nutrition Requirement,Nutritional Requirement,Requirement, Dietary,Requirement, Nutrition,Requirement, Nutritional,Requirements, Dietary,Requirements, Nutrition,Requirements, Nutritional
D009765	Obesity	A status with BODY WEIGHT that is grossly above the recommended standards, usually due to accumulation of excess FATS in the body. The standards may vary with age, sex, genetic or cultural background. In the BODY MASS INDEX, a BMI greater than 30.0 kg/m2 is considered obese, and a BMI greater than 40.0 kg/m2 is considered morbidly obese (MORBID OBESITY).
D005527	Food, Fortified	Any food that has been supplemented with essential NUTRIENTS either in quantities that are greater than those normally present, or which are not found in the food typically. Fortified food also includes food enriched by adding various nutrients to compensate for those removed by refinement or processing. (Modified from Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992).	Enriched Food,Food, Supplemented,Enriched Foods,Food, Enriched,Foods, Enriched,Foods, Fortified,Foods, Supplemented,Fortified Food,Fortified Foods,Supplemented Food,Supplemented Foods
D006400	Hematocrit	The volume of packed RED BLOOD CELLS in a blood specimen. The volume is measured by centrifugation in a tube with graduated markings, or with automated blood cell counters. It is an indicator of erythrocyte status in disease. For example, ANEMIA shows a low value; POLYCYTHEMIA, a high value.	Erythrocyte Volume, Packed,Packed Red-Cell Volume,Erythrocyte Volumes, Packed,Hematocrits,Packed Erythrocyte Volume,Packed Erythrocyte Volumes,Packed Red Cell Volume,Packed Red-Cell Volumes,Red-Cell Volume, Packed,Red-Cell Volumes, Packed,Volume, Packed Erythrocyte,Volume, Packed Red-Cell,Volumes, Packed Erythrocyte,Volumes, Packed Red-Cell
D006454	Hemoglobins	The oxygen-carrying proteins of ERYTHROCYTES. They are found in all vertebrates and some invertebrates. The number of globin subunits in the hemoglobin quaternary structure differs between species. Structures range from monomeric to a variety of multimeric arrangements.	Eryhem,Ferrous Hemoglobin,Hemoglobin,Hemoglobin, Ferrous
D000042	Absorption	The physical or physiological processes by which substances, tissue, cells, etc. take up or take in other substances or energy.
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia