Low dietary iron prevents free radical formation and heart pathology of copper-deficient rats fed fructose. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1993 Feb;202(2):225-32
Date
02/01/1993Pubmed ID
8380928DOI
10.3181/00379727-202-43531Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0027439806 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 33 CitationsAbstract
Two studies were conducted to determine whether hepatic iron overload in rats fed fructose plays a role in the exacerbation of the signs associated with copper deficiency. When fed the adequate iron diet (50 micrograms Fe/g), copper-deficient rats fed either fructose or starch exhibited hepatic iron overload of similar magnitude. However, only livers of copper-deficient rats fed fructose exhibited the presence of high peaks associated with an iron compound detected by electron spin resonance. In addition, only copper-deficient rats fed fructose developed anemia, pancreatic atrophy, and heart hypertrophy with histopathologic changes, and they died prematurely of heart-related abnormalities. Lowering dietary iron from 50 micrograms/g to 30 micrograms/g was not sufficient to protect the animals against the pathologic consequences of copper deficiency. In contrast, the consumption of a fructose diet inadequate in both copper (0.6 micrograms/g) and iron (17 micrograms/g) resulted in the reduction of hepatic iron, which in turn caused the amelioration of the deficiency, compared with rats fed the adequate iron (50 micrograms/g) diet. None of these rats developed pancreatic atrophy, none exhibited myocardial lesions, and none died of the deficiency. Electron spin resonance spectra of their livers did not show the presence of free radicals. The data suggest that hepatic iron overload plays a role in the exacerbation of copper deficiency only when fructose diets are consumed.
Author List
Fields M, Lewis CG, Lure MD, Burns WA, Antholine WEMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsAtrophy
Body Weight
Cardiomegaly
Copper
Diet
Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy
Free Radicals
Fructose
Heart
Hematocrit
Iron
Liver
Male
Myocardium
Organ Size
Pancreas
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
