title: Iron preloading aggravates nutritional steatohepatitis in rats by increasing apoptotic cell death.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High serum ferritin and liver iron concentrations were found in some patients with NASH, suggesting a role for iron as a co-factor that aggravates liver injury. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of parenteral iron in a rat model of NASH induced by a methionine choline deficient diet (MCDD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar rats were divided into 1 - Control, 2 - Iron (Fe), 3 - MCDD, 4 - MCDD&Fe groups. Iron dextran 100mg/kg was administered intra-muscularly in groups 2 and 4. All rats were fed MCDD, Groups 1 and 2 were supplied with choline and methionine. Blood and tissue samples were obtained after 4weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The iron injection alone did not affect the liver whereas MCDD led to steatohepatitis. Iron worsened steatosis without any obvious effect on accompanying inflammation. It aggravated tissue injury by increasing apoptosis. Liver fibrosis was observed only in 3 out of 10 rats in the MCDD&Fe group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Observation of liver fibrosis only in the MCDD&Fe group suggests that iron induced increase in apoptosis contributes to the development of fibrosis at an earlier time than expected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Altunizade, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nese
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Imeryuz
authors.forename: Veysel
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tahan
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sonsuz
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uraz
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yuksel
authors.forename: Sertac
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akpulat
authors.forename: Dervis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozcelik
authors.forename: Goncagul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haklar
authors.forename: Cigdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Celikel
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Avsar
authors.forename: Nurdan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tozun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002796:Choline Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology*; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D009748:Nutrition Disorders; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar