ABSTRACT
Objective To verify whether iron can accelerate the process of liver fibrosis in rats. Methods The rats were divided into control group, high fat diet group, high iron group, high fat diet and high iron group, high fat diet and de?iron group, each with 24 rats. The rats were allowed to freely take normal diet and high fat diet, while the high iron rats, high?fat diet plus high iron rats received intramuscular injection of 50 mg/kg iron dextran every other day;high?fat di?et plus de?iron group rats received tail intravenous injection of 30 mg/kg deferoxamine one month before death, 3 times/week. 8 rats were selected at 4th, 5th, 6th month of intervention, to detect serum hyaluronic Acid (HA), collagen type IV ( COL?IV) , laminin ( LN) , procollagen III ( PC III) , and observe pathological changes in the liver with Masson staining. Results At 5th month of intervention, serum HA level of the high?fat diet plus high iron group was significantly higher than those of high fat diet group and control group. At 6th month of intervention, serum COL?IV and LN levels of the high?fat diet plus high iron group were significantly higher than those of the high fat diet group. At 6th month, serum PC III level was 1. 63 time of those of the high fat diet group. At the 6th month, liver tissue of high fat diet plus high iron group ap?peared collagen deposition revealed by Masson staining, which was not the case in other groups. Conclusions Iron can accelerate high fat?induced liver fibrosis.