Copper metabolism in iron-deficient maternal and neonatal rats.
Groups of rats were fed diets providing 8 ppm iron (-Fe) and 250 ppm iron (+Fe) throughout pregnancy and lactation. In spite of the increase in apparent absorption of iron in pregnant -Fe dams, iron deficiency anemia developed, resulting in decreased iron levels in placenta, amniotic fluid and fetal liver. Copper concentration of amniotic fluid was elevated in -Fe dams. On day 17 of lactation, -Fe dams and their suckling pups had hematologic evidence of iron deficiency. While liver and spleen iron decreased in 17-day-old pups, levels of copper increased. Subcellularly, the greatest increase in hepatic copper in -Fe pups was found in the cytosol, thus the increased copper deposition is not similar to copper loading. Serum ceruloplasmin activity was significantly elevated in -Fe lactating dams and was slightly, but not significantly, increased in -Fe pregnant dams and suckling pups.
D000042:Absorption; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D007774:Lactation; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism
D003300:Copper