title: Severe or marginal iron deficiency affects spontaneous physical activity in rats.
abstract: The influence of dietary iron on spontaneous activity was investigated in growing rats. Male rats weighing 97 +/- 10 g fed diets containing 4.6 (deficient), 19.9 (marginal), and 108.4 (adequate) mg Fe/kg diet for 8 wks had hemoglobin values of 52 +/- 6, 152 +/- 4, and 159 +/- 6 g/L, and liver nonheme iron concentrations of 0.79 +/- 0.24, 1.36 +/- 0.39, and 4.58 +/- 0.62 mumol/g, respectively. Body weights were affected only at the lowest iron intake. Diurnal activity was not reversed by iron status; all animals were more active during the dark cycle than the light cycle. Iron deficiency resulted in less time and frequency of horizontal, vertical, and stereotypic movements; less distance moved; and less frequent rotations. Movement speed of iron-deficient rats was faster during early iron deficiency. In the light, rats with marginal iron nutriture were generally more active than were iron-deficient or iron-adequate animals. In the dark, activity generally decreased with each reduction in dietary iron.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, ND 58202-7166.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Zito
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erjavec
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects; D003624:Darkness; D004032:Diet; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D007501:Iron / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D007501:Iron