Effect of phlebotomy on the ferritin iron content in the rat liver as determined morphometrically with the use of electron energy loss spectroscopy.

Phlebotomy of untreated and iron-loaded rats results in a significant decrease in total liver iron. In iron-loaded rats a marked decrease in iron-containing particles is observed ultrastructurally in lysosomes and cytoplasm of hepatic sinusoidal cells but not in parenchymal cells. This remarkable phenomenon was further investigated in a morphometric study, based on element-specific (iron) distribution images made in situ in the parenchymal cell by means of electron energy loss spectroscopy. With the use of this technique it could be shown that in spite of phlebotomy the ferritin iron content of the iron-loaded liver parenchymal cell is not decreased.

Studies on ferritin in rat liver and spleen during repeated phlebotomy.

1. The ferritin content of liver and spleen in normal and iron-loaded rats decreased during repeated phlebotomy. 2. During increased iron demand, ferritin is degraded in toto. 3. With the ESI and EELS technique the iron distribution was followed in different cell types and cellular compartments. 4. We have demonstrated two methods of iron mobilisation: (a) catabolism of lysosomal ferritin in toto and (b) delivery of ferritin from parenchymal cell into the bile and degradation of ferritin in toto.

Iron-load increases the susceptibility of rat hearts to oxygen reperfusion damage. Protection by the antioxidant (+)-cyanidanol-3 and deferoxamine.

To investigate whether iron is involved in the reperfusion syndrome by aggravating free radical injury, the hearts from iron-loaded and control rats were perfused under normoxic, anoxic, and reperfusion conditions. Normoxic perfusion revealed no change in coronary flow, contractility, or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release between these two groups. Under anoxic and reperfusion conditions, however, we found a significant increase of ventricle fibrillation (56% vs. 0%, p less than 0.01, n = 9), a significantly lower recovery of contractility (21 +/- 7.4% vs. 81 +/- 6.6%, mean +/- SEM; p less than 0.001), and a significant increase of LDH release (667 +/- 142 vs. 268 +/- 37 mU LDH/min/g wet wt, mean +/- SEM; p less than 0.05). Administration of either 20 microM of the antioxidant (+)-cyanidanol-3 or 50 microM of the iron-chelator deferoxamine totally prevented the generation of ventricle fibrillation and normalized contractility to control levels in the iron-loaded group. Moreover, 20 microM (+)-cyanidanol-3 significantly lowered LDH release in this period (312 +/- 67 mU), whereas deferoxamine had no protective effect on this LDH release (1,494 +/- 288 mU). Normal hearts appeared to be protected by 20 microM (+)-cyanidanol-3 as well. In this group (n = 6), a significantly higher recovery of contractility (97.1 +/- 3.2% vs. 81 +/- 6.6%, p less than 0.05) and a significantly lower release of LDH (110 +/- 27 vs. 268 +/- 37 mU, p less than 0.05) was found compared with the control group (n = 9). No difference in superoxide dismutase or glutathione peroxidase activity was found between the groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Free radical and cytotoxic effects of chelators and their iron complexes in the hepatocyte.

In a comparative screening study of chelators intended for clinical use eleven iron chelators have been tested for their ability to mobilize (59Fe) iron from 59Fe-labelled ferritin and from hepatocytes of rats labelled with 59Fe-transferrin. The toxic effects of the chelators were also studied using microsomal lipid peroxidation induced by Fe3+/ADP and NADPH. From these tests it was shown that 1,2-dimethyl 3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (L1) and mimosine were the most effective iron chelators in iron mobilization and did not catalyse lipid peroxidation. In conclusion it can be stated that besides to investigate the iron binding capacity of new chelators also their ability to catalyse lipid peroxidation has to be ruled out.

Iron mobilization from isolated hepatocytes.

It is not known which message and mechanism triggers the cell to mobilize iron from ferritin. In this paper we present the results of incubation experiments with 59Fe-labelled hepatocytes. Anemic serum gives a significant higher rate of iron mobilization than normal serum. The involvement of apo-transferrin is ruled out because it did not increase iron mobilization. Citrate increased iron mobilization which is not the result of an increase in NADH/NAD+-ratio because addition of ethanol did not stimulate iron mobilization. Desferrioxamine is used clinically in iron overloaded patients and it is known that iron removal is a very slow process. Although desferrioxamine can mobilize iron from ferritin in hepatocytes, a considerable amount remains inside the cell as a low molecular weight fraction. This fraction represents chelator bound iron and is slowly released into the circulation.