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AIN‐76 and AIN‐93 diets do not provide adequate iron for perinatal development
Author(s) -
Prohaska Joseph,
Broderius Margaret
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.634.3
Subject(s) - hemoglobin , pregnancy , lactation , zoology , transferrin receptor , transferrin , endocrinology , rodent , medicine , chemistry , physiology , biology , ecology , genetics
Iron supplementation during pregnancy and neonatal development remains controversial. Rodent models intending to evaluate trace element deficiencies and interactions should rely on an optimal control diet. When the AIN‐93 formulation was developed it dealt primarily with changes in carbohydrate, lipid, and calcium levels; iron recommendations remained the same as its predecessor diet, AIN‐76A, at 35 mg/kg. Increasing the dietary iron to 75 mg/kg (a level recommended by NRC guidelines) to pregnant Sprague Dawley rats, or postweanling males demonstrated that iron status is improved in dams, pups, as well as rapidly growing males. This is based on measurements of hepatic iron, plasma iron, and hemoglobin concentration. Phenotype of copper‐deficient (CuD) dams and pups fed modified AIN‐76A diets were different than CuD rats fed modified AIN‐93G diets with the higher iron level compared to copper‐adequate (CuA) controls. Hepatic iron was no longer augmented in the CuD groups. Additionally plasma and brain iron differences were attenuated. For example, brain iron deficiency evaluated by augmented transferrin receptor expression in CuD rats was not observed in the CuD pups reared by CuD dams fed the modified AIN‐93G diets with extra iron. It may be prudent to reevaluate the composition of standard “control” diets used in rodent models. Supported by International Copper Association.