Toshiko Hirosue

Effect of Iron Deficiency and/or Ethanol Administration on the Content of Minerals in Subcellular Fractions of Rat Liver

Wistar-strain female rats (about 40g b. w.) were fed a normal or an iron-deficient diet for 8 weeks, and 10% ethanol (v/v) was simultaneously given as drinking water for the last 4 weeks.The iron-deficient diet decreased Fe level and increased Cu level in all subcellular fractions of the liver. In addition, the iron-deficient diet decreased Zn level in microsomal and cytosolic fractions.The ingestion of ethanol under conditions of iron-adequacy resulted in a decrease of Cu, Zn and Se levels in the nuclear fraction, Mn level in nuclear and mitochondrial fractions, and Mg level in nuclear and cytosolic fractions.The ingestion of ethanol under iron-deficiency resulted in a decrease of Fe and Mn levels in the nuclear fraction, and an increase of Mn level in the microsomal and cytosolic fractions, and Mg and P levels in the microsomal fraction.These observations suggest that chronic alcohol ingestion could accelerate the biological effects of iron-deficiency anemia induced by Fe-deficient diet through the further decrease of Fe content in the nuclear fraction, and increase of Mn content in the cytosolic fraction.

Effects of Ethanol Administration on Mineral Contents in Tissues of Iron-deficient Rats

Wistar-strain female rats (about 40g b. w.) were fed a normal or iron-deficient diet for 8 weeks, and 10% ethanol (v/v) was simultaneously given as drinking water for the last 4 weeks. The iron-deficient diet decreased the Fe levels in serum and all tissues studied.The ethanol treatment lowered, regardless of iron deficiency, the serum Cu and hepatic Zn, Mg and P levels. The ingestion of ethanol under iron deficiency resulted in a decrease in the serum Ca and Mg, pulmonary and hepatic Fe, and renal Se levels, and an increase in the splenic Mg and cerebral Ca contents.These observations suggest thar chronic alcohol ingestion could accelerate the harmful effects of iron deficiency anemina through the further reduction of the decreased Fe contents in pulmonary and hepatic tissues.