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The Role of Plasma Transferrin in Iron Absorption in the Rat
Author(s) -
Morgan E. H.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
quarterly journal of experimental physiology and cognate medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0033-5541
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1980.sp002510
Subject(s) - transferrin , chemistry , intestinal mucosa , absorption (acoustics) , medicine , blood plasma , lymph , endocrinology , biochemistry , pathology , biology , materials science , composite material
The question of whether plasma transferrin acts as a carrier of iron from intestinal mucosal cells to the blood plasma was investigated in a series of experiments in the rat. By thoracic duct cannulation and collection of lymph during absorption it was confirmed that nearly all absorbed iron passes direcly to portal blood. The total rate of transcapillary exchange of transferrin and the rate of passage of plasma transferrin into the extravascular compartment of the intestinal mucosa were then measured in separate groups of rats. The rates of exchange were insufficient for transferrin to act as the carrier of iron at the rate at which it passes from intestinal cells to portal plasma after ingesting a dose of inorganic iron. Some specific binding of transferrin and cellular uptake of iron by intestinal mucosa was observed after the intravenous injection of transferrin labelled with 59 Fe and 125 I. It is concluded from these experiments that absorbed iron passes from intestinal cells to portal plasma largely in a low molecular weight form. The passage of plasma transferrin into the interstitial fluid of the intestinal mucosa and binding to mucosal cells probably functions primarily to supply iron to the cells and not to act as a carrier of iron from the cells.

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