title: Effects of chronic iron deficiency anemia on brain metabolism.
abstract: The effects of chronic iron deficiency anemia on brain (cortex) metabolism were estimated by 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and biochemical analyses in male Wistar rats. Iron deficiency anemia was induced by supplying diet containing either approximately 2 or approximately 6 ppm Fe. Control diet was supplemented with 100 ppm Fe as ferric citrate. After 8-9 weeks, blood hemoglobin levels were approximately 13, 5, and 3 g/100 ml in the 100 ppm, 6 ppm, and 2 ppm Fe group, respectively. The blood lactate levels at rest in these groups were approximately 3, 5, and 6 mM. The blood glucose concentration also tended to be elevated in iron-deficient rats. The high-energy phosphate contents in brain were not affected by iron deficiency. The activities of succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase per unit protein in the 2 ppm Fe group were significantly less than in the 100 ppm Fe group, but those activities were not significantly affected by feeding diet with 6 ppm Fe. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase in iron-deficient group tended to be elevated but not significantly. The activities of non-iron containing mitochondrial enzymes, citrate synthase and beta-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase, were unchanged. It is suggested that the brain has a higher tolerance to iron deficiency than skeletal muscle in terms of the metabolic characteristics, although this may be associated with a lower level of neural activity.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Kagoshima Immaculate Heart University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kariya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaihatsu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asakura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohira
mesh_terms: D015094:3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D019344:Lactic Acid; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006454:Hemoglobins; D007773:Lactates; D010710:Phosphates; D019344:Lactic Acid; D015094:3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenases; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase