Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Iron
• Ferrous state (Fe2+) or ferric state (Fe3+)
• Iron deficiency is common
• Iron is found in animal and plant foods
• Heme iron (25%–35% absorption) –
more readily absorbed
• Non heme iron (2%–20% absorption)
• 2-4 g iron in the human body
– 65% in hemoglobin (RBC)
– 10% in myoglobin (muscle cells)
– 1-5% as part of enzymes
– Remaining as storage
Ferritin and Hemosiderin
Iron
• Heme iron
– Hydrolyzed from hemoglobin/myoglobin in stomach and
small intestine by enzymes
– Absorbed intact by a heme carrier protein (hcp1)
– Hydrolyzed to inorganic ferrous iron and protoporphyrin
Iron Digestion and Absorption (2 of 4)
• Nonheme iron
– Must be hydrolyzed in the GI tract
– Fe3+ reduced to Fe2+ which remains fairly soluble
– Fe2+ passes into small intestine and becomes more
alkaline (more basic)
Less available for absorption
– Main transporter for Fe2+
Divalent cation (mineral) transporter DMT1
Synthesis of DMT1 affected by iron status
• Heme iron
– Hydrolyzed from hemoglobin/myoglobin in stomach and
small intestine by enzymes
– Absorbed intact by a heme carrier protein (hcp1)
– Hydrolyzed to inorganic ferrous iron and protoporphyrin
Iron Digestion and Absorption
Iron Digestion and Absorption
1.Iron is released from bound food components. Some HCL in the stomach reduces
Fe3+ to Fe2+.
4. Nonheme iron in the small intestine may react with one or more inhibitors, which
promote the fecal excretion of iron.
6. Divalent metal transporter (DMT1) carries Fe2+ across the brush border
membrane into the cytosol of the enterocyte.
7. Fe2+ may be oxidized Fe3+ to store iron within the cell as part of ferritin.
8. Ferroportin transports iron across the basolateral membrane. Iron transport is
coupled with its oxidation to Fe3+ and transferrin for transport in the blood
Factors Influencing Iron Absorption
• Storage sites
– Liver, bone marrow, and spleen
• Storage proteins
– Ferritin
Body and serum stores equalize
– Hemosiderin
Increases during iron overload
Iron Functions
• Vitamin C
– Vitamin C maintains iron in reduced form
• Copper
– Enzymes hephaestin and ceruloplasmin contain copper
• Zinc
– Non-heme iron may compete with zinc for absorption
• Vitamin A
– Vitamin A stimulates erythropoietin production
• Lead
– Multiple interactions (all negative) between lead and iron
Iron Excretion
• Fecal
– In general, major route of iron excretion
– Endogenous iron losses in feces average 0.6 mg/day
– Losses of iron from blood, bile and sloughing of endothelial cells
• Skin
– Minor route of iron excretion
• Urine
– Minor route of iron excretion
• Menstrual
– For pre-menopausal women, major route of iron excretion
– When averaged over month, iron loss of 0.5 mg/day
Iron Recommended Dietary Allowance
• Men: 8 mg
• Women:
– Premenopausal: 18 mg
– Postmenopausal: 8 mg
– Pregnancy: 27 mg
– Lactation: 9 mg
Iron Deficiency
• Progression of deficiency
– First stage: iron stores diminish
Routine test of plasma (serum) ferritin
– Second stage: transport iron decreases
Plasma ferritin diminishes, circulating iron begins to decrease
– Continued progression
Free protoporphyrin rises
– Final stages: anemia occurs
Hemoglobin and hematocrit typically altered
Effects of virus infections on iron absorption and
storage
• Viral infections change expression of proteins
involved in intestinal iron absorption, such as
hepcidin.