Iron metabolism in experimental rickets. Pt. 2. Pharmacological investigations on ferrokinetics in rat rickets

Investigations of ferrokinetics were performed using 59Fe isotope in experimental rickets. It was found that rickets does not cause in rats detectable changes in plasma iron turnover and in the half-time of iron clearance from the plasma. Only a transient impairment of iron utilization by the erythrocytes of rats with rickets was observed. In the blood cell counts no differences were revealed. Besides that a lower weight of the liver and a higher weight of the spleen were observed in rats with rickets as compared with controls. These organs showed a different degree of 59Fe deposition after a single intravenous dose between both groups. No differences were found in the liver iron stores expressed as the level of non-heme iron. On the basis of the obtained results and data from the literature the author suggests the possibility of changes in the absorption of iron by the reticulo-endothelial system in rickets. In severe osseous changes caused by rickets a transient inhibition of erythropoiesis is possible. (author)