HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Furugouri, K. Articles by Kawabata, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Furugouri, K. Articles by Kawabata, A.

Iron Absorption by Neonatal Pig Intestine in Vivo

National Institute of Animal Industry, 959 Aoba-cho Chiba-shi, Chiba 280, Japan

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with 56 piglets to investigate the absorptive phase of iron during the developing period of the intestine using ligated segments in vivo. Iron-untreated animals were studied at birth, 24 to 36, 72 to 84, 120 to 132 and 168 to 180 hr after the first nursing, whereas treated animals were used at 168 to 180 hr after the first nursing.

^{5 9}Fe-labeled ferric citrate with a molecular weight of 1,500 was applied to prevent pinocytosis activity from influencing intestinal absorption for iron. The newborn pig intestine exhibited an active absorption for iron, which was maintained throughout this age-range. The duodenum was the principal site of iron absorption by the neonatal intestine. Iron transfer from lumen to carcass did not coincide with the changes associated with protein absorption taking place in the pig intestinal mucosa during the neonatal period. Iron treatment depressed ^{5 9}Fe uptake of intestinal segments. Accordingly, it seems likely that the iron absorptive system is fully functional at birth and that an active absorption for iron in the neonates is not due to intestinal capacity of pinocytosis. Although mucosal uptake of ^{5 9}Fe was reduced markedly with advanced age, no significant differences were found between sites of mucosal uptake of ^{5 9}Fe. Mucosal uptake of ^{5 9} Fe did not correlate with ^{5 9} Fe transfer from lumen to carcass. In newborn pigs' jejunum and ileum, mucosal uptake of ^{5 9}Fe was relatively high as compared with net transport from lumen to carcass. Iron treatment had no effect on mucosal uptake of ^{5 9}Fe. Thus, it seems likely that great iron demand due to a rapid increase in the body mass causes reduced iron content in mucosal cell and an active absorption for iron. Similarly, it is possible that the surface of the mucosal cell of the newborn piglets regulates iron transfer from lumen to carcass.

¹ Department of Animal Physiology.