Target organ pathology in iron-deficient suckling rats.

Pathological changes in 18-day-old rat pups from iron-deficient dams (5 ppm dietary iron) included severe fatty degeneration of the liver with focal hepatocellular necrosis plus complete depression of hemopoiesis in this organ. Similar fatty degeneration occurred in the cortical tubular epithelial cells of the kidneys of deficient rats. Lesions in spleens and thymuses of the iron-deficient rat pups indicate depression of hemopoiesis and lymphopoiesis of both thymus-dependently lymphocyte (T-cell) and bursa-equivalent lymphocyte (B-cell) areas. From the qualitative andquantitative evaluation of thymus and spleen it may be concluded that the iron-deficient young rats are immunologically retarded and/or are permanently less competent than the controls.