title: Rat brain iron concentration is lower following perinatal copper deficiency.
abstract: Experiments performed with Holtzman rats demonstrated that brain iron (Fe) was lower by postnatal day 13 (P13) in pups born and nursed by dams that began copper-deficient (-Cu) treatment at embryonic day 7. Transcardial perfusion of P24-P26 males and females to remove blood Fe contamination revealed that brain Fe was still 20% lower in -Cu than +Cu rats. Estimated blood content of brain for -Cu rats was greater than for +Cu rats; for all groups, values ranged between 0.43 and 1.03%. Using group-specific data and regression analyses, r = 0.99, relating blood Fe to hemoglobin, brain Fe in non-perfused rats in a replicate study was lower by 33% at P13 and 39% at P24 in -Cu rats. Brain extracts from these rats and from P50 rats from a post-weaning model were compared by immunoblotting for transferrin receptor (TfR1). P24 brain -Cu/+Cu TfR1 was 3.08, suggesting that brains of -Cu rats were indeed Fe deficient. This ratio in P13 rats was 1.44, p < 0.05. No change in P50 -Cu rat brain TfR1 or Fe content was detected despite a 50% reduction in plasma Fe. The results suggest that brain Fe accumulation depends on adequate Cu nutriture during perinatal development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota 55812, USA. jprohask@d.umn.edu
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Prohaska
authors.forename: Anna A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gybina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D000833:Animals, Suckling / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003300:Copper / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron