RESUMEN
In order to investigate the influence of iron deficiency on the mRNA expression of iron regulatory protein (IRP(2)) mRNA and ferritins (FN) in intestinal mucosa of rat, the animal model of rat with nutritional iron deficiency was established. According to the measurement of serum iron (sI), serum fertitin (sFn) and Hb, the experiments were divided into 4 groups: control group, recessive iron deficiency group, mild iron deficiency group and moderate iron deficiency group. sI was measured by flame assay and sFN was measured by radioimmunoassay, the expressions of irp(2) mRNA and fn mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. The results showed that (1) with aggravation of iron deficiency, the levels of sI and sFN in experimental groups decreased and had significant difference from that in control group, except sI level in the recessive iron deficiency group; (2) with aggravation of iron deficiency, the expression of irp(2) mRNA in duodenum mucosa elevated, and the expressions of irp(2) mRNA in moderate iron deficiency group and mild iron deficiency group were higher than that in control group (p < 0.01), the expression of irp(2) mRNA in moderate iron deficiency group was higher than that in recessive iron deficiency group (p < 0.05), but the expression of irp(2) mRNA did not showed statistical difference between mild iron deficiency group and moderate iron deficiency group (p > 0.05); (3) with aggragation of iron deficiency, the expression of fn mRNA in dudemum mucosa decreased, the expression levels fn mRNA in control and moderate groups were highest and lowest, respectively, there were significant differences between experimental and control groups (p < 0.05), and between experimental groups (p < 0.05); (4) the expression of irp(2) mRNA and fn mRNA in moderate iron difficiency group showed negative correlation (r = 0.662, p < 0.05). It is concluded that IRP(2) protein serves as an important regulator of iron metabolism in the human body, and regulates iron uptake from the intestine by controlling the expression of fn mRNA at the post transcriptional level.