The effect of iron deficiency anemia in the rat on catecholamine levels and heart morphology.

Noradrenaline levels and heart morphology were studied in animals with severe iron deficiency anaemia. This condition was induced by feeding rats an iron-deficient diet for 30 days from the time of weaning. Anaemia was indicated by the lowering of blood haemoglobin levels. Statistically significant decreases in myocardial noradrenaline levels associated with cardiac hypertrophy, as revealed by increased wet heart weight and increased size of cardiac muscle cells, were observed in anaemic rats compared with controls.