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Title: Iron may play a role in pancreatic atrophy in copper deficiency

Conference · · FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States)
OSTI ID:5239266
; ;  [1]
  1. Georgetown Univ. Medical Center, Washington, DC (United States) Dept. of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD (United States) Univ. of Maryland, College Park (United States)

The present study was undertaken to determine if pancreatic atrophy in copper deficient rats fed fructose is associated with excessive iron deposition. Weanling male and female rats were fed a copper deficient or copper adequate diet containing 62% carbohydrate as either fructose or starch. Another group of weanling rats consumed a copper deficient diet containing fructose that was low in iron. After consuming their respective diets for five weeks, the highest pancreatic iron concentration was seen in male rats consuming the copper deficient diet containing fructose. These animals also exhibited pancreatic atrophy. In contrast, neither copper deficient female rats fed fructose nor males fed starch exhibited pancreatic atrophy and their pancreata did not contain high levels of iron. In addition, reducing the availability of dietary iron in copper deficient rats fed fructose decreased pancreatic iron concentration and ameliorated the pathology. The data suggest that pancreatic atrophy in copper deficiency may be related to iron deposition in that tissue.

OSTI ID:
5239266
Report Number(s):
CONF-9104107-; CODEN: FAJOE
Journal Information:
FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States), Vol. 5:5; Conference: 75. annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Atlanta, GA (United States), 21-25 Apr 1991; ISSN 0892-6638
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English