Premium
Comparative study between Hfe‐/‐ and β 2m‐/‐ mice: progression with age of iron status and liver pathology
Author(s) -
Rodrigues Pedro,
Lopes Célia,
Mascarenhas Claudia,
Arosio Paolo,
Porto Graça,
Sousa Maria De
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
international journal of experimental pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.671
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1365-2613
pISSN - 0959-9673
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2613.2006.00491.x
Subject(s) - steatosis , pathology , ferritin , histopathology , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , medicine , alanine transaminase , hematology , hepatocyte , gastroenterology , biology , physiology , biochemistry , in vitro
Summary Hepatic iron overload in hemochomatosis patients can be highly variable but in general it develops in older patients. The purpose of this study was to compare development of iron load in of β 2 m ‐/‐ and Hfe ‐/‐ mice paying special attention to liver pathology in older age groups. Liver iron content of β 2m ‐/‐, Hfe ‐/‐ and control B6 mice of different ages (varying from 3 weeks to 18 months) was examined. Additional parameters (haematology indices, histopathology, lipid content and ferritin expression) were also studied in 18‐month‐old mice. The β 2m ‐/‐ strain presents higher hepatic iron content, hepatocyte nuclear iron inclusions, mitochondria abnormalities. In addition, hepatic steatosis was a common observation in this strain. In the liver of Hfe ‐/‐ mice, large mononuclear infiltrates positive for ferritin staining were commonly observed. The steatosis commonly observed the β 2m ‐/‐ mice may be a reflection of its higher hepatic iron content. The large hepatic mononuclear cell infiltrates seen in Hfe ‐/‐ stained for ferritin, may point to the iron sequestration capacity of lymphocytes and contribute to the clarification of the differences found in the progression of hepatic iron overload and steatosis in older animals from the two strains.