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Developmental Changes in the Nonheme Iron Composition of the Liver and Spleen in Piglets

National Institute of Animal Industry, Chiba 280, Japan

Abstract

Eighty-six pigs were used to clarify aspects of the mobilization of iron stores during the nursing period and examine effects of parenteral iron administration on iron accumulation. Pigs were killed at birth, 24 to 30 and 72 to 84 hr. after the first nursing. At 3 days of age, pigs were divided into iron-dextran injected (100 mg iron, 18 pigs) and uninjected (27 pigs) groups within litters. Pigs from each group were killed at 10, 20 and 30 days of age. Nonheme iron concentration in the liver and spleen at birth and 1 day of age persisted at a high level and varied markedly from litter to litter or from individual to individual. Nonheme iron concentration in the spleen at birth was about a half of that in the liver. At birth and 1 day of age, there was more ferritin iron in the liver but less in the spleen, than hemosiderin iron. From 3 days of age onward, nonheme iron in the liver was mobilized markedly and ferritin iron dropped to a lower minimum level than did hemosiderin iron. The nonheme iron level in the spleen did not decrease rapidly in the neonatal period, but showed an almost fixed level between 1 and 30 days of age. With the iron supplement, nonheme iron concentration in both tissues was markedly increased at 10 days and decreased linearly thereafter. During this period, although both fractions increased, hemosiderin iron rose to a much greater extent than ferritin iron.

¹ Laboratory of Physiology of Meat Production.