Effect of decreased food consumption during iron deficiency upon growth rate and iron status indicators in the rat.
Weanling Wistar rats were given a low-iron diet (4-5 mg Fe/kg), a medium-iron diet (20 mg Fe/kg) or a control diet (40 mg Fe/kg) for 7 weeks. Pair-fed rats received the control diet in amounts equivalent to that consumed by animals on a low-Fe diet. Blood samples from the tail vein were taken after 4 weeks of diet and weekly during the following 3 weeks for determination of iron status parameters. Animals were weighed weekly. After 4 weeks of diet, the rats fed the 5 mg iron/kg diet were severely anemic and rats fed 20 mg iron/kg diet were moderately iron-deficient. Ad libitum and pair-fed controls had normal iron status. Total liver iron stores were lowest in anemic rats (p less than 0.001) and were also low in moderately iron-deficient animals (p less than 0.05). Growth rates decreased early in anemic and pair-fed rats. Both groups were smaller than controls and moderately iron-deficient rats after 2 weeks (p less than 0.05) and this continued until the end of the experiment (p less than 0.001). Body weights of pair-fed rats were lower than those of anemic rats from the 1st to the 3rd week of diet; thereafter, differences between the two groups were no longer significant.
Dhur
A
A
Centre de Recherche sur les Anémies Nutritionnelles, Institut Scientifique et Technique de l'Alimentation (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers), Paris, France.
Galán
P
P
Hercberg
S
S
D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D006128:Growth; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D007501:Iron