Effect of different degrees of moderate iron deficiency on the activities of tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes, and the cytochrome oxidase, and the iron, copper, and zinc concentrations in rat tissues.

Severe iron deficiency results in complex systemic disorders e.g., including metabolism of energy and minerals. To investigate whether also moderate iron depletion may alter the activities of citric cycle enzymes and the cytochrome oxidase, the trace element status, and serum enzymes indicative of cell damage, this experiment was carried out with rats supplied with sub-optimal iron (9, 13 and 18 mg iron per kg diet) over a total of 5 weeks. The study included 3 pair-fed groups and an ad libitum group, fed with 50 mg iron/kg diet. All iron-restricted rats were classified as iron-deficient on the basis of reduced iron concentrations in body and iron-depending blood parameters. Body weight gain and catalase activity in kidney were lowered in rats receiving the lowest dietary iron level, exclusively. Rats fed 9 and 13 mg iron per kg diet had nearly 6- and 3-fold, respectively higher platelet counts in blood than their corresponding pair-fed controls. The activities of transaminases ASAT and ALAT, alkaline phosphatase, glutamate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase in serum which are indicative of cell damage were also markedly influenced by moderate dietary iron restriction, in which the enzyme levels in serum increased with intensifying iron depletion. Although, moderate iron restriction to young male rats was associated with marked alterations in iron status and serum enzymes, the activities of tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes including malic dehydrogenase, fumarase, and isocitric dehydrogenase as well as cytochrome oxidase in liver remained largely unaffected. Only hepatic aconitase showed a somewhat reduction with iron depletion. Moreover, iron restriction was also accompanied with an accumulation of copper in liver which was significant for rats fed 9 and 13 mg iron per kg diet, whereas zinc status remained completely unaffected by moderate iron deficiency. It can be concluded, that a short-term moderate iron deficiency with ranging hemoglobin concentrations from 66 and 121 g/L, was accompanied with altered platelet counts, serum enzyme activities indicative of cell damage, and hepatic copper concentrations, but the activities of the tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes and cytochrome oxidase in liver remained largely unaffected.