[Iron metabolism in the hepatocytes and Kupffer cells of rats receiving large amounts of iron dextran].
The author found marked differences in isoferritin patterns between the ferritins of hepatocytes and Kupffer cells in normal adult rats of the Wistar strain. This fact was considered to be a phenomenon of the heterogeneities recognized widely between these two cells from the embryological, morphological and physiological viewpoint. Accordingly, the iron metabolism of hepatocytes and Kupffer cells was studied separately in cells obtained from the livers of rats which had received iron dextran previously. Especially, the concentrations of iron and ferritin and isoferritin patterns in these cells were followed by rats given the different amounts of iron (25, 50, 150 and 200 mg given to the rats) 48 hours previously and also in time course experiment (2, 10 and 30 days) by the rats given 100 mg iron. Serum iron concentration and TIBC were increased markedly 48 hours after administrations of more than 100 mg iron. However RBC count, Hb concentration and Ht showed no changes related to iron administration. In the conditions settled by the author, there were no serious increases in the serum enzyme activities of GOT, GPT, LDH and gamma-GTP. Isoferritin patterns obtained from hepatocytes and Kupffer cells maintained the same characteristics except for a slight shift to the alkaline side in each peak with the respective controls in the rats receiving 100 mg iron. In this experiment, ferritin and iron concentrations in hepatocytes and whole liver showed similarly positive increases in a dose dependent manner, while the concentrations of both compounds in Kupffer cells arrived at their maximums with 100 mg iron and were decreased by larger administrations of iron. In the time course experiment, ferritin concentration increased in hepatocytes, Kupffer cells and whole liver, and arrived at the maximum at 2 days in Kupffer cells and at 10 days in the other two specimens. However the iron concentrations reached their maximums at 2 days respectively and returned almost to the control levels afterwards in all specimens. These results indicated the characteristics of iron metabolism in two kinds of cells, and suggested the differences in the structure and the metabolism of their ferritins.
Shimada
K
K
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron