Failure to label baboon milk intrinsically with iron.
The widely held belief that 50% of the iron in human milk is absorbed is based on studies that have used an extrinsic radioactive iron tag. To determine the validity of an extrinsic tag, it is necessary to label the milk intrinsically with one isotope and to compare absorption of this isotope with absorption of another isotope added as the extrinsic tag. We chose the baboon as a model and infused 59Fe intravenously. In each of three attempts we failed to label the milk intrinsically.
Figueroa-Colón
R
R
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242.
Elwell
J H
JH
Jackson
E
E
Osborne
J W
JW
Fomon
S J
SJ
D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D007504:Iron Radioisotopes; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism; D010215:Papio
D007504:Iron Radioisotopes; D007501:Iron