The Effects Of Iron-low Diet Intervention At The Early Stage Of Life On The Iron Metabolism In Adult Rats

Objective: To observe whether or not iron deficiency can affect the health of the offspring of the pregnant rats when they are born; to observe the catch-up growth among the young rats with iron deficiency; to explore the effects of iron-low diet intervention at the early stage of life on the iron metabolism in adult rats.Methods: 30 Weaning female Wistar were selected randomly. One week after feeding adaptation, rats were randomly divided into two groups, diet intervention began. One group was fed with a low iron diet, and the other group with an iron-rich diet. Four weeks after intervention, their hematological indices were detected, and then mated with healthy males. Diet intervention was resumed with the pregnant females. During delivery, the childbirth and the offspring were observed; the offspring birth weight was recorded. Adult female rats were still subjected to diet intervention until wean. Again, their homological indices and iron were detected. Thereafter, the weaner rats were fed with iron-rich diet until the end of the period. Dynamic observations were made of the weight changes of the weaner rats in the lactation and the growth period (balance period). At the end of the balance period, their hematological indices were tested. After the balance, these grown-up rats experienced another diet intervention. During the intervention the iron-low and iron-rich rats were divided into two groups randomly: low iron diet was consumed (that is, the low - low group, the rich - low group) and iron-rich diet was used ( the low– rich group, the rich– rich group). After 15 weeks of diet intervention, their hematological indices and iron were detected.Results:. (1) The model of the iron deficiency anemia with pre-pregnant rats was successfully established. Four weeks after diet intervention, hb for two female groups was significantly different (p<0.05). (2) Females had the same pregnancy rate, but the living fetus rate and the survival rate on lactation were significantly different (low survival rate for iron-low group) (P <0.05), the offspring of low-iron female rats grew slowly in breast-feeding period. During lactation, the ferritin of the young of the iron-low female group was much lower than that of the young of the iron-rich female group(p<0.05) . The young of the low-iron female group began to catch up with the growth of the young of the iron-rich female group in the balance period. (3) The indices of grown-up rats at the end of the balance period showed no significant differences. (4) After the grown-up rats received another diet intervention, the hematological indices and iron metabolism showed no significant differences among the rich-rich group and low-rich group. The homological results of the first batch of low-low group and rich-low group showed that RDW of the low-low group was lower than that of the rich-low group, MCH and MCHC of low-low group was higher than that of rich-low group and the differences were significant. The indices of iron metabolism showed that TIBC of low-low group was lower than that of rich-low group(p<0.05). The homological results of the second batch of low-low group and rich-low group showed that Hb and MCV of the low-low group was lower than that of the rich-low group. The indices of iron metabolism showed that TIBC of low-low group was higher than that of rich-low group(p<0.05)Conclusions These observations suggest that :(1) Iron deficiency in pregnant mice affects not only their own health can also affect the birth of healthy offspring and offspring growth and development(2) Even with intrauterine iron deficiency, there will be catch-up growth for the underweight offspring in the growing period if sufficient iron is administered.(3) The rats, who had been subjected to early iron-low diet intervention, would display stronger iron intaking and transfer capacity compared with control group if they again undergo iron-low diet intervention in the grown-up period...