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IRON AND ANAEMIA IN THE NEONATAL MOUSE
Author(s) -
Loh TT
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
australian journal of experimental biology and medical science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0004-945X
DOI - 10.1038/icb.1975.17
Subject(s) - erythropoiesis , iron deficiency , physiology , anemia , hematocrit , biology , medicine , endocrinology
Summary The relationship between changes in the blood picture and iron metabolism in the neonatal mouse, from birth to 20 days of age, was studied. From the time of birth the haemoglobin, haematocrit and erythrocyte count dropped and reached their lowest values on day 5. The values then increased rapidly to exceed the day 0 values between 10 and 15 days of age. This phenomenon is analogous to the ‘neonatal anaemia’ cited in other newborn mammals, and it has been suggested to be an iron‐deficiency anaemia. As reflected by the negligible increase in body iron over the first 5 days, a poor dietary source could be one of the contributing factors. This condition is further accentuated by the animal's inability to utilize dietary iron effectively for erythropoiesis. Other factors such as shortened erythrocyte survival and haemodilution may also have been involved. The erythrocytes were macrocytic at birth but gradually became normocytic as the mouse grew older.