[Effects of copper deficiency on iron metabolism in rats].

Objective: To study the effects of copper deficiency on iron metabolism, the expression of IRP mRNA and Fn mRNA and transferrin receptor mRNA in rats.

Methods: Forty clean male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups according to body weight and there were 10 rats in each group. The groups are normal iron and copper control group (group I), copper deficiency group (group II), normal iron and copper slightly deficient group (group III), both iron and copper slightly deficient group (group IV). After 8 weeks, all the rats were killed by sodium pentobarbital anesthesia and all samples were collected and detected for gene expression.

Results: Compared with the controls, the contents of serum iron and serum ferritin in completely copper deficiency group decreased (P < 0.05), but the level of serum transferrin receptor increased significantly under the complete copper deficiency (P < 0.05). Compared with that of the control group, the level of IRP2 mRNA in complete copper deficiency group was significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the level of transferrin receptor mRNA was also increased compared with that of the control group,compared with the control group the level of ferrintin RNA in complete copper deficiency group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The nutritional status of the iron may be affected by copper deficiency through influencing the absorption, the results indicate that copper deficiency influences iron homeostasis in cells through affecting the expression of IRP2 and the activity of IRP-RNA combination which change the expressions of ferritin and transferrin mRNA.