Effect of dietary iron defiency on some enzyme levels in growing rats

Primary derangement in the levels of iron enzymes in iron deficiency have been reported by various workers. The present study was undertaken to deternime whether secondary derangements in the levels of other non-iron enzymes could accompany in the primary derangement. Three groups of rats were fed synthetic diet for 85 days. Group I received the iron deficient diet ad libitum, group II was pair fed with group I but received supplemented iron and group III received the iron supplemented diet ad libitum. The following were the mean values of some biological data at time of sacrifice. Body weight of group I, II and III were 82.5 g, 96.5 g, 108.5 g and haemoglobin , 7.2 g

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, 14,1 g

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and 14.8 g

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respectively. Enzyme levels were measured in different tissues of the three groups of rats. The levels of hepatic iron enzyme, catalase, as well as non-iron enzymes, glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), glutamate dehydrogenase (GD) and malate dehydrogenase (MD) were significantly decreased in the iron deficient group. The decrease was more pronounced in the levels of catalase. However, lactate dehydrogenase did not show any significant changes. The enzymes were unaffected in kidneys and spleen except catalase, which decreased in group I.