title: Study of iron homeostasis following partial hepatectomy in rats with chronic aluminum intoxication.
abstract: Effects of both chronic aluminum (Al) exposure and partial hepatectomy on iron (Fe) homeostasis were studied. Male Wistar rats were intraperitoneally administered either 27 mg Al/kg body weight (as aluminum hydroxide) or the vehicle saline, three times a week for 3 mo. After this time, half of the rats of each group was sham operated (SH) and the other half was partially hepatectomized (PH). Animals of the four experimental groups (vehicle+SH [SH]; Al+SH; vehicle+PH [PH], and Al+PH) were killed 48 h after the surgical procedure. Serum, hepatic, and intestinal Al levels were found to be increased both for Al+SH and Al+PH. The serum Fe concentration and transferrin saturation percentage were significantly diminished in the rats of the Al+PH group, thus showing interaction between Al administration and PH. The 59Fe mucosal-to-serosal transport, studied in the intestinal loop in situ, was not affected by Al or PH. The malregulation of intestinal Fe absorption in Al exposure and/or PH when the serum Fe concentration was diminished could be the result of the increased lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances [TBARS]) observed in this tissue. Mucosal TBARS were increased by Al exposure (+26%) and PH (+37%) and interaction between Al and PH was observed (+44%). These results show that when liver surgery is performed after prolonged Al exposure, it leads to impairment of Fe homeostasis. We underline the importance of the exposure to Al, a potentially toxic element, in the study of risk assessment in patients who must be submitted to major liver resection.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Fisiología Humana, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: María del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Contini
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Claudio A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: Cristina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Carnovale
mesh_terms: D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects*; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014168:Transferrin; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide; D007501:Iron