A study of the relationship between placental non-haem iron and iron transfer in the guinea pig: the maturation of the transfer process.
The relationship between placental non-haem iron and placental iron transfer has been studied in the guinea pig. From day 25 to day 50, non-haem iron and iron transfer increase. Expressed on placental wet weight or per g of placental DNA, iron transfer and non-haem iron were inversely related; an increase of transfer was accompanied by a decrease of the non-haem iron content. The results are discussed in terms of the hypothesis, that accumulation of non-haem iron in early pregnancy is caused by an imbalance between iron uptake and iron transfer. The steady increase of total non-haem iron till term which has been demonstrated in this study is in contradiction with this hypothesis. The paper describes an alternative hypothesis in which placental non-haem iron, most likely ferritin iron, is assumed to play an active role in the regulation of placental iron transfer.
D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism; D005865:Gestational Age; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron