Morphological and functional alterations of the intestine of rats with iron-deficiency anemia

The present study was designed to assess the intestinal absorption of D-xylose and jejunal morphometry in rats with iron-deficiency anemia. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group (diet containing 50 mg Fe/kg, N = 12) and an anemic group (diet containing <5 mg Fe/kg, N = 12). The animals were housed in individual metabolic cages and deionized water and diet were provided ad libitum for 6 weeks. Hemoglobin and hematocrit were determined at 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. At the end of the study the rats were submitted to a D-xylose absorption test (50 mg/100 g body weight) and sacrificed and a jejunal specimen was obtained for morphometric study. At the end of the study the hemoglobin and hematocrit of the anemic rats (8.7 ± 0.9 g/dl and 34.1 ± 2.9 percent, respectively) were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of the controls (13.9 ± 1.4 g/dl and 47.1 ± 1.5 percent, respectively). There was no statistical difference in D-xylose absorption between the anemic (46.5 ± 7.4 percent) and control (43.4 ± 9.0 percent) groups. The anemic animals presented statistically greater villus height (445.3 ± 36.8 µm), mucosal thickness (614.3 ± 56.3 µm) and epithelial surface (5063.0 ± 658.6 µm) than control (371.8 ± 34.3, 526.7 ± 62.3 and 4401.2 ± 704.4 µm, respectively; P < 0.05). The increase in jejunum villus height, mucosal thickness and epithelial surface in rats with iron-deficiency anemia suggests a compensatory intestinal mechanism to increase intestinal iron absorption.

Dietary cellulose has no effect on the regeneration of hemoglobin in growing rats with iron deficiency anemia

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of cellulose on intestinal iron absorption in rats during recovery from iron deficiency anemia. Twenty-one-day-old male Wistar-EPM rats were fed an iron-free ration for two weeks to induce anemia. At 5 weeks of age, the rats were divided into two groups (both groups receiving 35 mg of elemental iron per kg diet): cellulose group (N = 12), receiving a diet containing 100 g of cellulose/kg and control (N = 12), receiving a diet containing no cellulose. The fresh weight of the feces collected over a 3-day period between the 15th and 18th day of dietary treatment was 10.7 + or - 3.5 g in the group receiving cellulose and 1.9 + or - 1.2 g in the control group (P<0.001). Total food intake was higher in the cellulose group (343.4 + or - 22.0 g) than in the control (322.1 + or - 13.1 g, P = 0.009) during the 3 weeks of dietary treatment. No significant difference was observed in weight gain (cellulose group = 132.8 + or - 19.2, control = 128.0 + or - 16.3 g), hemoglobin increment (cellulose group = 8.0 + or - 0.8, control = 8.0 + or - 1.0 g/dl), hemoglobin level (cellulose group = 12.3 + or - 1.2, control = 12.1 + or - 1.3 g/dl) or in hepatic iron levels (cellulose group = 333.6 + or - 112.4, control = 398.4 + or - 168.0 æg/g dry tissue). We conclude that cellulose does not adversely affect the regeneration of hemoglobin, hepatic iron level or the growth of rats during recovery from iron deficiency anemia

Perfil do desenvolvimento puberal e do estado nutricional de adolescentes / Transversal study to ecvaluate puberal development and nutritional status of the adolescents

Realizou-se estudo transversal retrospctivo de 116 adolescentes dos sexos masculino e feminino, acompanahados no Ambulatório de Adolescência Clínica do NUNADI do CRSMNADI, com o objetivo de avaliar o estado nutricional e o desenvolvimento puberal, considerando-se que os critérios habitualmente utilizados para avaliaçäo nutricional nesse período da vida, talvez näo reflitam adequadamente as profundas mudanças que estäo ocorrendo, podendo causar viés de interpretaçäo. A média de idade foi 12 anos e 10 meses , variando de 10 anos a 17 anos e 10 meses, sendo que 57,8 por cento dos participantes eram do sexo feminino e 42,2 por cento do sexo masculino...

Effects of nutritional copper deficiency on adult non-pregnant and pregnant rats and their newborns

Se estudiaron los efectos de la deficiencia nutricional de cobre sobre la ganancia de peso, ingesta de alimento y fertilidad de ratas Wistar adultas, preñadas y sin preñar, y peso de sus recién nascidos. Los animales adultos fueron sumetidos a dietas con diferentes contenidos de cobre (control - 5 ppm; deficiencia moderada - 1.2 ppm; deficiencia severa - 0.3 ppm) durante seis semanas (no preñadas) y nueve semanas (preñadas). No se observó ningún efecto sobre la ganancia ponderal ni sobre el apetito del grupo de animales sujetos a deficiencia de cobre. Ni la fertilidad, evaluada por el número de conceptus y nascidos vivos de las ratas preñadas, ni el peso de sus recién nascidos, sufrieron ningún trastorno. Estos datos revelan que no sólo es el grado de deficiencia, sino también el período durante el cual es impuesto, al igual que su duración, los factores que condicionan la aparición de alteraciones propias de esta deficiencia